Quality of a product is often a measure of its efficacy i.e. its ability to meet the desired output. However, due to the lack of quality standards by regulatory authorities, it might be difficult to assess the quality of certain products. That is not the case with PPEs. Being in the business of manufacturing products that protect, Mallcom follows all required safety standards and products go through several quality checks to ensure workers are protected no matter what.
This commitment to optimum quality has helped Mallcom achieve the required quality certifications for its product range. To help users understand them and get a better understanding of the quality of products, Mallcom listed most of the quality certifications products are approved by.
Head protection
- EN812 for Bump Caps: Bump caps are one of the first head protection PPEs. EN812 certification for bump caps specifies the physical and performance requirements along with the methods to test the product and marking requirements.
EN Standards For Safety Helmets
- EN397 (Safety Helmets): EN397 specifies the standard requirements of a safety helmet i.e. to protect the wearer from falling objects, protection against mechanical impacts to the head, brain injuries, or skull fractures.
The standard also lists requirements for protection against lateral deformation of the helmet. The EN397-compliant safety helmets must meet the following requirements:
- EN352-1 Muffs and Headband: This section of the standard deals with head fasteners and establishes requirements in terms of manufacture, design and performance, test methods, instructions relating to marking, and information intended for users.
- EN352-2: Plugs and Bands: This part of the standard also deals with individually molded ear plugs and devices connected by the band, although, it does not deal with the performances of electronic devices likely to be inserted in the ear plugs or the case of amplitude sensitive plugs.
- EN352-3 Muffs and Helmet Mounted: The present section of the standard stipulates requirements in terms of manufacture, design, and performance, test methods, instructions relating to head fastener marking, and information intended for head fastener users when the latter is fixed on protective industrial helmets.
Eye protection
- EN169: Ocular Filters for Welding and Related Techniques: This particular standard: EN169, gives the grade numbers and the transmission specifications of the filters intended to ensure the protection of users carrying out welding, arc gouging, and plasma arc cutting works.
- EN175 standard: Equipment for eye and face protection during welding and allied processes: The EN175 standard specifies the safety requirements and test methods relating to personal protective equipment used to protect the user’s eyes and face against harmful optical radiation and other specific risks due to usual welding processes, cutting or other related techniques.
The present standard specifies the protection, including ergonomic aspects, against different types of risks or dangers: radiation, flammability, mechanical risks, and electrical risks. The equipment is designed to adjust protective filters with or without guard lenses or eyepiece of reinforcement, according to the recommendations of the protective equipment manufacturer for welding operations, in conformity with EN166 and EN169 standards or with EN379 standards.
Standard Symbol Explanation
- EN379: Specifications for the Welding Filters with Variable Protection Grade: This European Standard lists requirements related to automatic welding filters, which switch their luminous transmittance to a lower predetermined value, especially when a welding arc is ignited.
EN166:
This standard specifies safety norms for safety glasses in general. For instance, the safety glasses certified by this norm consist of a frame and lenses which are classified according to the following standards into safety lenses and lenses with a filter effect.
- Protection Class (filters only)
- Manufacturer Mark
- Optical Class (except for ancillary lenses)
- Certification Mark (if applicable)
- The symbol for Mechanical Strength
- Symbol for non-adherence of molten metal
Additional EN Standards for Eyewear
- EN 169: Welding filter
- EN 170: Ultra-violet filters
- EN 171: Infra-red filters
- EN 172: Solar Protection filters for industrial use
- EN 175: Welding work equipment
- EN 207: Laser protection eyewear
- EN 208: Laser adjustment eyewear
Hand protection
EN388:
The ratings for cut resistance range between 1-5 while all the other performance factors are rated between 1-4
Standard for Cut Resistance: EN 388 evaluates mechanical risks for hand protection. An EN 388-certified safety glove has to be third-party tested for abrasion, cut, tear, and puncture resistance.
The ratings for cut resistance range between 1-5 while all the other performance factors are rated between 1-4. The standard uses the “Coup Test” and the “TDM-100 Test” to gauge cut resistance score more accurately.
EN407: This standard specifies the test methods and the general requirements, the classification, and the marking of gloves for protection against heat and/or fire [flames, contact heat, convective heat, radiant heat, small metal splashes, or large projections of molten metal).
- Resistance to flammability 0-4
- Contact heat resistance 0-4
- Convective heat resistance 0-4
- Radiant heat resistance 0-4
- Resistance to small splashes of molten metal 0-4
- Resistance to large splashes of molten metal 0-4
EN 420: This standard defines the general requirements for glove design and construction, innocuousness, comfort, efficiency, marking, and information applicable to all protective gloves.
EN 12477 + A1: 2005: EN 12477 + A1: 2005 specifically addresses the standard requirements for gloves designed to be used by welders during welding operations and allied processes. Some of the requirements include references from EN 420, ensuring the gloves don’t cause harm to the wearer, and are comfortable and correctly sized.
EN511: This standard applies to any glove to protect the hands against convective and contact cold until the temperature goes down to -50 ° C.
Body protection
EN 340: General requirements of the protective garments, used only in combination with specific standards such as EN 342, etc. General requirements are for ergonomics, aging, sizing, and marking of protective clothing, and for information supplied by the manufacturer:
Category I: EN 342, EN 343
EN 342: Protection Against Cold: Products are tested by measuring the insulation for an ensemble (jacket, trousers) worn. Air permeability and breathability are also measured.
- X: Insulation
- Y: Air Permeability
- Z: Breathability
EN343 (Rainwear): These garments are intended to protect against weather conditions with combinations of precipitation, rain, fog, humidity, and wind till the temperature goes down to +5° C. They are tested for waterproofness IX) and breathability IY); figures 11, 2, or 3) are given and higher figures are best.
- X Waterproofness, level 1, 2 or 3
- Y Breathability, level 1, 2 or 3
EN ISO 11612 (Rainwear): Protective clothing against heat and flame: This standard replaces EN 531: 1995, but please note that the protective garments that have an EN 531 certification remain valid.
The standard specifies the performance requirements for garments that protect the body from heat and flame (except the hands). The standard does not apply to firefighters (EN 469) and welders (EN 470 – EN ISO 16111:2008).
The following parameters are used:
- Minimum requirement, fabric combination
- Insulation against convective heat
- Insulation against radiant heat
- Insulation against molten cast aluminium
- Insulation against molten cast iron
EN471 (High Visibility Clothing):
The standard specifies requirements for clothing intended to provide visibility of the user in hazardous situations under any light conditions by day and under illumination by vehicle headlights in the dark (24-hour visibility).
Effective visibility is to be provided by fluorescent fabric and reflective stripes. The visibility is measured as a combination of the area and positioning of the reflective materials IX) and the quality of the same (Yl).
- X Area reflex/fluorescent fabric, level 1, 2 or 3
- Y Reflex type/quality 1 or 2
Class 1
Class 1 defines the lowest visibility level
E.G. High Visibility trousers with two 5cm reflective bands around each leg. These become Class 3 when worn with a Class 3 jacket.
Class 2
Class 2 defines an intermediary visibility level. Example: vests. Two 5cm bands of reflective material around the body or one 5cm band around the body and braces to both shoulders.
Class 3
The class 3 defines the highest level of visibility. For example jacket with long sleeves, a jacket and trousers suit. Two 5cm bands of reflective tape around the body and arms plus braces over both shoulders.
foot protection
- EN 344-1/ EN ISO 20344 Standard: This standard defines the overall requirements and test methods for safety footwear, protective footwear, and occupational shoes. It may be used only in conjunction with standards EN345-1/EN ISO 20345, EN346-1/EN ISO 20346, and EN347-1/EN ISO 20347, which specify the requirements for the shoes as a function of specific levels of risk involved.
- EN 345-1/ ISO 20345: Standard specification for safety footwear for the workplace. About standard EN344-1 / EN ISO 20344, this European standard defines the basic and the additional [optional) requirements for safety footwear for the workplace, as marked. The shoes are designed and equipped with safety toe caps designed to withstand a maximum impact of 200 Joules and crushing up to 15 kN.
- EN 346-1/EN ISO 20346: Specification for protective footwear marked.
The shoes are designed and equipped with safety toe caps designed to withstand a maximum impact of 100 Joules and crushing up to 10 kN.
