EN 343:2003/prA1

Protective clothing - Protection against rain

Modification to Clause 2, 5.1.3.3 and 5.4 of EN 343:2003

Schutzkleidung - Schutz gegen Regen

Vêtements de protection - Protection contre la pluie

Varovalna obleka – Zaščita pred dežjem

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• ICS: 13.340.10 - Protective clothing
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 162 - Protective clothing including hand and arm protection and lifejackets
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 162/WG 4 - Protective clothing against foul weather, wind and cold
• Current Stage: 5060 - Closure of Vote - Formal Approval
• Start Date: 22-May-2007
• Due Date: 10-Mar-2008
• Completion Date: 22-May-2007
• Directive: 89/686/EEC - Council Directive 89/686/EEC of 21 December 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment
• Directive: 93/68/EEC - Council Directive amending Dir. 87/404/EEC (simple pressure vessels), 88/378/EEC (safety of toys), 89/106/EEC (construction products), 89/336/EEC (electromagnetic compatibility), 89/392/EEC (machinery), 89/686/EEC (personal protective equipment), 90/384/EEC (automatic weighing instruments), 90/385/EEC (active implantable medicinal devices), 90/396/EEC (appliances burning gaseous fuels), 91/263/EEC (telecommunications terminal equipment), 92/42/EEC and 73/23/EEC
• Directive: 93/95/EEC - Personal protective equipment (Dir. 89/686/EEC amendment)
• Directive: 96/58/EC - Personal protective equipment (Dir. 89/686/EEC amendment)
• Mandate: M/031 - Standardization mandate to CEN/CENELEC concerning standards for Personal Protective Equipment
• Ref Project: SIST EN 343:2003/oprA1:2006 - Protective clothing - Protection against rain

Relations

• Merged Into: EN 343:2003+A1:2007 - Protective clothing - Protection against rain
• Effective Date: 22-Dec-2008
• Amends: EN 343:2003 - Protective clothing - Protection against rain
• Effective Date: 22-Dec-2008

Overview

The EN 343:2003/prA1 standard is an important amendment to the European Standard EN 343:2003, which specifies requirements for protective clothing designed to offer protection against rain. Developed by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 162, this draft amendment focuses on refining specific clauses related to material testing and performance, ensuring enhanced durability and reliability of rain protection garments used in various professional and industrial contexts. The document is submitted for enquiry and aligns with essential EU Directives on safety and quality.

Key Topics

• Modification of Clauses: The amendment introduces changes to Clause 2 (normative references), Clause 5.1.3.3 (abrasion resistance testing), and Clause 5.4, focusing particularly on testing methods for outer shell materials.

• Abrasion Resistance Testing:

  • Addition of EN ISO 12947-1 and EN ISO 12947-2 as referenced standards for determining abrasion resistance through the Martindale method.
  • Introduction of a pretreatment procedure specifically for outside coated or laminated shell materials to assess their abrasion durability.
  • Key testing specifications include:
    • Use of standard woollen cloth as abradant according to EN ISO 12947-1.
    • Mounting of abradant and specimen in specified holders to ensure accurate abrasion simulation.
    • Application of a controlled pressure of (9 ± 0.2) kPa on the specimen.
    • Execution of 25,000 abrasion cycles with abradant replacement after each pretreatment.
    • Requirement to remove debris after 10,000 cycles to maintain test integrity.

• Scope and Compliance: The amendment supports harmonization across CEN member states and mandates compliance according to CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, facilitating uniform safety performance benchmarks.

Applications

EN 343:2003/prA1 is critical for manufacturers, safety officers, and quality assurance professionals involved in the design, production, and certification of protective rainwear. The enhanced testing protocols for abrasion resistance ensure:

• Increased durability of waterproof and rain-resistant clothing in harsh working conditions.
• Reliable protection for workers exposed to rain and wet environments such as construction, agriculture, transportation, and emergency services.
• Consistent quality control during product development and after-market testing to extend product lifecycle and user safety.

This standard amendment enables companies to improve product performance and comply with EU safety directives, ultimately reducing the risk of garment failure in critical weather conditions.

Related Standards

• EN 343:2003: The original standard outlining the basic requirements for protective clothing against rain, including classifications for water resistance and breathability.
• EN ISO 12947-1 and EN ISO 12947-2: These standards define the Martindale method for measuring abrasion resistance of textiles, now incorporated by reference in the amendment.
• EU Directives on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): The amendment supports compliance with EU regulations, ensuring protective clothing meets legal safety requirements.
• CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations: Governing the incorporation of amendments into national standards without alterations, ensuring consistent application across European markets.

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Keywords: EN 343 amendment, protective clothing rain protection, abrasion resistance testing, coated shell material, Martindale method, PPE compliance, European rainwear standards, CEN technical committee, EN ISO 12947, protective rainwear durability, safety garments testing.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI SIST EN 343:2003/oprA1:2006

PREDSTANDARD
februar 2006
Varovalna obleka – Zaščita pred dežjem
Protective clothing - Protection against rain
ICS 13.340.10 Referenčna številka
©  Standard je založil in izdal Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje ali kopiranje celote ali delov tega dokumenta ni dovoljeno

EUROPEAN STANDARD
DRAFT
EN 343:2003
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
prA1
December 2005
ICS
English Version
Protective clothing - Protection against rain
Vêtements de protection - Protection contre la pluie Schutzkleidung - Schutz gegen Regen
This draft amendment is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 162.
This draft amendment A1, if approved, will modify the European Standard EN 343:2003. If this draft becomes an amendment, CEN
members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for inclusion of this amendment
into the relevant national standard without any alteration.
This draft amendment was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made
by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Management Centre has the same status
as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are aware and to
provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without notice and
shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2005 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 343:2003/prA1:2005:2005: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
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