M/571 Amd 2 - PPE
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 8.4.2026 amending Implementing Decision C(2020)7924 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization as regards personal protective equipment in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council
Summary
Mandate M/571 AMD 2 concerns the standardisation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) within the European Union. It tasks European standardisation organisations with developing and maintaining harmonised standards to support the regulatory framework for PPE, ensuring high levels of safety and protection for users. The mandate aims to address evolving risks and technological advancements, promoting innovation and consistency in PPE design, performance, and testing. This amendment updates or expands existing standards to align with legislative requirements and market needs, facilitating free movement of PPE products across the EU while safeguarding health and safety. The mandate enhances cooperation between stakeholders to uphold effective PPE standardisation.
Purpose
The mandate M/571 AMD 2 concerns Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Its primary purpose is to support the development and harmonisation of standards related to PPE within the European Union. This ensures that PPE products meet consistent safety, health, and performance requirements to protect users effectively.
Standardisation request
The mandate requests the European standardisation organisations to update, revise, or develop standards for various categories of personal protective equipment. This includes defining technical specifications, testing methods, and conformity assessment procedures aligned with EU legislation on PPE. The objective is to facilitate the placing of PPE on the EU market while ensuring a high level of protection for users.
Expected deliverables
- Revised or new harmonised standards covering different types of PPE such as protective clothing, helmets, gloves, and respiratory equipment.
- Technical specifications addressing safety requirements and risk management.
- Standardised testing methods and procedures for verifying PPE compliance.
- Guidelines for conformity assessment ensuring PPE meets EU regulatory requirements.
Context
Personal Protective Equipment is critical for safeguarding individuals in occupational, recreational, and public settings against health and safety risks. The EU PPE Regulation establishes essential health and safety requirements and mandates conformity assessment before products can be marketed. Standardisation plays a key role in implementing this regulation by providing technical details that manufacturers and certifying bodies follow. The M/571 AMD 2 mandate is an amendment reflecting updates needed to keep standards up to date with technological, regulatory, and market developments.
This mandate covers the development of European standards related to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It includes the standardisation of equipment designed to protect users against health and safety risks at work, such as helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear, and respiratory protective devices. The focus is on ensuring the safety, quality, and performance of PPE products used across various sectors including industrial, construction, healthcare, and other workplaces requiring protective equipment.
This document specifies minimum requirements and test methods for the performance of three types (see 4.3) of footwear for use by firefighters for fire suppression, general-purpose rescue, fire rescue and hazardous materials emergencies. It also specifies requirements for footwear for firefighters equipped with customized insocks and customized footwear for firefighters. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with EN ISO 20345:20222.
This document does not cover the property of high visibility because of interaction with the clothing (e.g. trousers cover the footwear and vice versa) and work area conditions (e.g. dirt, mud).
Special risks are covered by complementary job-related standards (e.g. electrically insulating footwear, protection against chain saw injuries, protection against molten metal splash).
- Draft39 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements, test methods, marking, manufacturer’s instructions and information and packaging for guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line forming a single product. This anchor line is attached to an upper anchor point for vertical and inclined applications; for horizontal applications, the anchor point can be located at the user’s foot level. Guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line conforming to this document are components of one of the fall arrest systems covered by EN 363:2018. Other types of fall arresters are specified in EN 353-1:2014+A1:2017 or EN 360:2023.
- Draft5 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements for performance and associated test methods for single-user temporary anchor devices which are not permanently secured to the structure. These anchor devices, intended to be removed from the structure, incorporate stationary or travelling (mobile) anchor points designed for the attachment of suitable components of a personal fall protection system, e.g. in accordance with EN 363:2018.
This document also gives requirements for marking and instructions for use.
This document is not applicable to:
- anchor devices intended to allow more than one user to be attached at any one time;
- anchor devices used in any sports or recreational activity;
- walkways, steps and treads, e.g. equipment conforming to EN 516:2006;
- permanent anchor devices and roof safety hooks, e.g. equipment conforming to EN 17235:2024;
- elements or parts of structures which were installed for use other than as anchor points or anchor devices, e.g. beams, girders;
- structural anchors, e.g. an element that is cast-in, welded, permanently mechanically fixed or bonded by resin to the structure.
- Draft51 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This European Standard applies to rope adjustment devices intended for use in rope access systems. It specifies the requirements, test methods, marking and manufacturer’s instructions and information.
- Draft6 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements for footwear intended to protect the wearer from a prolonged continuous contact (more than 1 hour) with specific chemicals.
Degradation and permeation by chemicals are addressed in this document. Other requirements are covered by reference to EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024, EN ISO 20346+A1:2024:2022 or EN ISO 20347:2022+A1:2024 as appropriate.
- Draft19 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements, test methods, marking, manufacturer’s instructions and information and packaging for guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line forming a single product. This anchor line is attached to an upper anchor point for vertical and inclined applications; for horizontal applications, the anchor point can be located at the user’s foot level. Guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line conforming to this document are components of one of the fall arrest systems covered by EN 363:2018. Other types of fall arresters are specified in EN 353-1:2014+A1:2017 or EN 360:2023.
- Draft5 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies minimum requirements for particle filtering half masks as respiratory protective devices intended to protect the wearer in occupational settings, where there is a health risk(s) from inhaling any type of particles during working activities except for escape purposes.
Laboratory and practical performance tests or references to test method standards are included for the assessment of compliance with the requirements.
- Draft28 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This European Standard applies to rope adjustment devices intended for use in rope access systems. It specifies the requirements, test methods, marking and manufacturer’s instructions and information.
- Draft6 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements, test methods, marking and manufacturer’s instructions and information for descender devices fitted with a built-in speed-regulating system, which include descent lines (hereinafter referred to as lines). These descender devices are intended to be used in a rescue system to provide protection against falling from a height when accessing/leaving positions at a height.
This document does not specify requirements for descender devices that are used for descending in mountaineering, rope access or work positioning systems.
- Draft35 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies minimum requirements for particle filtering half masks as respiratory protective devices intended to protect the wearer in occupational settings, where there is a health risk(s) from inhaling any type of particles during working activities except for escape purposes.
Laboratory and practical performance tests or references to test method standards are included for the assessment of compliance with the requirements.
- Draft28 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements for footwear to protect the user against limited contact in time with specific chemicals.
The following risks are covered: splashing and degradation by chemical.
- Draft25 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements for footwear to protect the user against limited contact in time with specific chemicals.
The following risks are covered: splashing and degradation by chemical.
- Draft25 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements for footwear intended to protect the wearer from a prolonged continuous contact (more than 1 hour) with specific chemicals.
Degradation and permeation by chemicals are addressed in this document. Other requirements are covered by reference to EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024, EN ISO 20346+A1:2024:2022 or EN ISO 20347:2022+A1:2024 as appropriate.
- Draft19 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies minimum performance requirements for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), except escape device and diving device.
This document specifies in the Annex D optional requirements regarding the interchangeability of the cylinder for single-cylinder SCBA.
Laboratory and practical performance tests are included for the assessment of compliance with the requirements.
- Draft51 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements, test methods, marking and manufacturer’s instructions and information for descender devices fitted with a built-in speed-regulating system, which include descent lines (hereinafter referred to as lines). These descender devices are intended to be used in a rescue system to provide protection against falling from a height when accessing/leaving positions at a height.
This document does not specify requirements for descender devices that are used for descending in mountaineering, rope access or work positioning systems.
- Draft35 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies minimum requirements for self-contained closed-circuit breathing RPDs for escape (short: oxygen escape RPD)
a) chemical oxygen type
― Potassium superoxide (KO2),
― Sodium chlorate (NaClO3) and
b) compressed oxygen type.
This document does not apply to RPD for work and rescue and to diving apparatus.
Laboratory and practical performance tests are included for the assessment of compliance with the requirements.
- Draft42 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies minimum performance requirements for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), except escape device and diving device.
This document specifies in the Annex D optional requirements regarding the interchangeability of the cylinder for single-cylinder SCBA.
Laboratory and practical performance tests are included for the assessment of compliance with the requirements.
- Draft51 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies minimum requirements and test methods for the performance of three types (see 4.3) of footwear for use by firefighters for fire suppression, general-purpose rescue, fire rescue and hazardous materials emergencies. It also specifies requirements for footwear for firefighters equipped with customized insocks and customized footwear for firefighters. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with EN ISO 20345:20222.
This document does not cover the property of high visibility because of interaction with the clothing (e.g. trousers cover the footwear and vice versa) and work area conditions (e.g. dirt, mud).
Special risks are covered by complementary job-related standards (e.g. electrically insulating footwear, protection against chain saw injuries, protection against molten metal splash).
- Draft39 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies minimum requirements for self-contained closed-circuit breathing RPDs for escape (short: oxygen escape RPD)
a) chemical oxygen type
― Potassium superoxide (KO2),
― Sodium chlorate (NaClO3) and
b) compressed oxygen type.
This document does not apply to RPD for work and rescue and to diving apparatus.
Laboratory and practical performance tests are included for the assessment of compliance with the requirements.
- Draft42 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document specifies requirements for performance and associated test methods for single-user temporary anchor devices which are not permanently secured to the structure. These anchor devices, intended to be removed from the structure, incorporate stationary or travelling (mobile) anchor points designed for the attachment of suitable components of a personal fall protection system, e.g. in accordance with EN 363:2018.
This document also gives requirements for marking and instructions for use.
This document is not applicable to:
- anchor devices intended to allow more than one user to be attached at any one time;
- anchor devices used in any sports or recreational activity;
- walkways, steps and treads, e.g. equipment conforming to EN 516:2006;
- permanent anchor devices and roof safety hooks, e.g. equipment conforming to EN 17235:2024;
- elements or parts of structures which were installed for use other than as anchor points or anchor devices, e.g. beams, girders;
- structural anchors, e.g. an element that is cast-in, welded, permanently mechanically fixed or bonded by resin to the structure.
- Draft51 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
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/571 Amd 2 is a European Standardization Mandate titled "COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 8.4.2026 amending Implementing Decision C(2020)7924 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization as regards personal protective equipment in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council". COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 8.4.2026 amending Implementing Decision C(2020)7924 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization as regards personal protective equipment in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council There are 22 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.