M/553 - Garments PPE
[C(2016) 8901 final] Advanced garments and ensembles of garments that provide protection against heat and flame, with integrated smart textiles and non-textile elements for enhanced health, safety and survival capabilities
Mandate M/553 requests the development of European standards for advanced garments and ensembles designed to protect against heat and flame. These protective garments incorporate integrated smart textiles and non-textile elements aimed at enhancing health, safety, and survival capabilities. The mandate supports the creation of standardized requirements and test methods to ensure the reliability and performance of these innovative personal protective equipment (PPE) products, facilitating improved protection for users in hazardous environments involving heat and fire risks. This standardisation effort is documented under CEN BT DECISION CEN/BT C158/2016.
Purpose
This mandate concerns the development of advanced garments and ensembles designed to provide protection against heat and flame. These protective garments incorporate integrated smart textiles and non-textile components aimed at enhancing health, safety, and survival capabilities for users.
Standardisation request
The request focuses on creating European standards for protective clothing that combines traditional heat and flame resistance with innovative technologies such as smart textiles. It aims to standardise performance criteria, test methods, and design requirements for garments that improve user protection through these integrated elements.
Expected deliverables
- Harmonised standards for garments and clothing ensembles offering heat and flame protection.
- Specifications for the integration of smart textiles and non-textile elements to enhance protective performance.
- Testing and certification procedures to assess compliance with safety and survival capability requirements.
Context
The mandate was issued by the CEN Board as per decision CEN/BT C158/2016. It responds to growing technological advances in protective clothing, addressing occupational and safety needs in environments with heat and flame risks. Integrating smart textiles represents an innovative approach to enhance wearer safety beyond traditional PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). This initiative supports EU objectives regarding worker health and safety through standardisation.
This mandate covers the standardisation of advanced garments and ensembles of garments designed to provide protection against heat and flame. It includes the integration of smart textiles and non-textile elements aimed at enhancing health, safety, and survival capabilities in protective clothing. The scope focuses on garments used as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in sectors requiring heat and flame resistance.
General Information
Frequently Asked Questions
A European Standardization Mandate is a formal request from the European Commission to the European Standardization Organizations (CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI) to develop European standards (ENs) in support of EU legislation and policies. Mandates are issued under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 and help ensure that products and services meet the essential requirements set out in EU directives and regulations.
M/553 is a European Standardization Mandate titled "[C(2016) 8901 final] Advanced garments and ensembles of garments that provide protection against heat and flame, with integrated smart textiles and non-textile elements for enhanced health, safety and survival capabilities". [C(2016) 8901 final] Advanced garments and ensembles of garments that provide protection against heat and flame, with integrated smart textiles and non-textile elements for enhanced health, safety and survival capabilities There are 6 standards developed under this mandate.
Standards developed in response to a mandate and cited in the Official Journal of the European Union become "harmonized standards". Products manufactured in compliance with harmonized standards benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation, facilitating CE marking and market access across the European Economic Area.