What is personal protective equipment?
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is equipment worn or held by a person to protect against risks to health or safety – from protective gloves to a full body harness. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2016/425 sets out the requirements PPE must meet before it is placed on the market. It divides PPE into three categories according to risk:
| Category I | minimal risks, e.g. superficial mechanical injury |
|---|---|
| Category II | risks that fall neither under I nor under III, e.g. many safety helmets and goggles |
| Category III | risks that may cause very serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health, e.g. fall protection equipment or respiratory protection |
Who is responsible?
In the EU, the use of PPE at work is governed by Directive 89/656/EEC. Under it, the employer provides suitable PPE and keeps it in good condition through maintenance, repair and replacement. The member states have transposed this into their own laws. Fire brigades and rescue organisations often have additional rules of their own.
User check and periodic inspection
In practice there are usually two levels:
- Check by the user before and after every use – according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Periodic thorough inspection by a competent person – called “competent person”, “persona competente” or “Sachkundiger” depending on the country.
For fall protection equipment, the standard EN 365 specifies what information the manufacturer must provide on use, maintenance and periodic inspection. Manufacturers usually specify an interval of no more than twelve months, shorter with heavy use. After a fall or if there is any doubt about its condition, an item is withdrawn from use until a competent person has decided.
Service life and withdrawal
Many products have a maximum service life specified by the manufacturer, counted from manufacture or first use. Textiles age even in storage. A passed inspection does not extend the service life. That is why it makes sense to keep track of inspection date and service life separately – and to mark withdrawn items so that they do not get back into use.
What belongs in the documentation?
Typical details on an inspection card or inspection report:
| Identification | manufacturer, model, serial or batch number |
|---|---|
| Key dates | date of manufacture, date of purchase, date of first use, maximum service life |
| Assignment | user, location, vehicle or stores |
| Inspection | date, reason, result per inspection point, comments, photos |
| Inspector | name, signature |
| Outcome | next inspection, repair, withdrawal |
Which details are required in detail depends on the manufacturer and the country. Many manufacturers provide their own inspection sheets.
Notes on individual countries
The EU rules are transposed and supplemented nationally. Some examples, without claiming to be complete:
- Germany: PSA-Benutzungsverordnung, DGUV rules 112-198 and 112-199, DGUV principle 312-906
- Austria: PSA-Sicherheitsverordnung (PSA-V), Arbeitsmittelverordnung (AM-VO)
- Italy: Legislative Decree 81/2008, UNI EN 365
- Switzerland: Suva requirements and publications
For your sector, it is best to ask your occupational safety specialist, your association or the competent authority.
Paper, Excel or software?
Inspection card, spreadsheet or app – what matters is that the documentation is complete, easy to find and up to date. Software pays off as soon as several people carry out inspections or the inventory grows. When choosing, look out for:
- inspection questions and control intervals per model, not just per category
- service life separate from the inspection date
- reminders before due dates
- photos, attachments and signature in the inspection
- export of your data in common formats
- permissions for different people and areas
- use on smartphone, tablet and PC
APPEC covers these points and costs from €5 per month. See all features.