All the products in this catalogue comply with European Directives and merit, therefore, the CE label. European Directives relating to the manufacture of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) fix standards,

symbolised by the CE label. The criminal liability of the firm is incurred. Before placing the PPE on the market the manufacturer draws up technical documentation, carries out tests and checks the conformity of the PPE with the technical rules that are applicable to it by means of a certification procedure for which the general rule is the CE standard examination. The European Directives divide PPE into three categories :

minor risks (self-certification - simple CE )

intermediary risks (CE examination attestation by a notified body)

PPE of complex design intended for protection against high risks
(CE examination attestation by a certified body + regular inspection of the production on the manufacturer's premises by an approved body)

EN 340 is the basic standard that defines the general requirements for protective garments in terms of ergonomics, ageing, size and marking. This general standard is completed by other standards specific to certain hazards. Among those of particular interest to us there a several that are widely used :

EN 1149 is the standard concerning electrostatic properties. It is worth controlling the electrostatic accumulation and discharge on PPE when inflammable vapours, gas and dust are present in the work environment. In fact, the spark generated by an electrostatic discharge, occurring on the majority of non-treated synthetic fabrics, can be large enough to provoke an explosion. Consequently, an anti-static finishing that absorbs dampness is applied on both sides of the Tyvek® fabric (1431N) used in our Tyvek® protective garment range and on several other protective garments. For the Tyvek® fabrics, 1431N colour, and the Tyvek® C and Tyvek® F, the anti-static treatment is applied only on the inner white side of the garment.

EN 531 is the standard concerning protective garments for workers exposed to heat.
The protective garment respecting the requirements of this standard is designed to protect workers from brief contacts with a flame and against at least one type of heat (convective, radiant, large projections of molten metal or a combination of these heat hazards).

The EN 532 and EN 533 standards specify the performance requirements for fabrics and assemblies of fabrics with limited flame propagation used in protective garments. The garments with limited flame propagation protect the wearer against accidental contacts with small ignition flames in conditions that do not present a significant health hazard. The performance is expressed by a limited flame propagation index. Three performance levels for the fabrics used are differentiated :

EN 465 465 is the standard that concerns garments protecting against chemical risks (category III).
This category III is, itself, broken down into 6 types of protection ranging from impervious to gases to limited imperviousness to splashes.

In order to be able to market a protective garment, any manufacturer such as E.I.F. must place a label on the garment indicating its classification. This is only possible for the manufacturer if the garment has previously undergone tests according to European standards and that the results of these tests have been validated by an authorised independent authority.

The employer is bound to evaluate needs in terms of protection linked to its activities and must provide its employees with suitable garments and training concerning the need to wear PPE.

A manufacturer of PPE for limited use is obliged to market protective garments :
- bearing a CE label and a label informing on the garment's classification
- satisfying safety criteria corresponding to clearly defined degrees of protection
- that have received the official approval of the competent authorities for the types in which the PPE are classed
- that have undergone the appropriate quality inspections

The protective garments manufactured and marketed by E.I.F. fulfil all these conditions. E.I.F. has also held ISO 9002 certification since 1994 as well as NF EN ISO 13488.