Summary of EN 340
standards for protective clothing - 89/686/EEC
All of the six "Types"
identified relate to "Category III' clothing. This means they are designed
to protect against a hazard which may be life threatening. Category I
products are those which are not suitable for protection against a hazard.
Products such as basic single layer polypropylene are category I products
and are not deemed suitable for protection against a hazard.
type 1 prEN 943 - 1 2002
Gas tight suits. Suits which are intrinsically sealed against the
environment.
type 2 prEN 943 - 1 2002
Non-gas tight positive pressure suits.
Suits which retain a positive internal pressure ingress of dusts, liquids or
vapours.
type 3 prEN 1511 : 1995
Liquid tight suits.
Suits which can protect against strong and directional jets of liquid
chemical such as spray from a burst pipe under pressure. Requires a barrier
fabric ( chemical tests to EN369 Permeation test) and sealed seams.
type 4 prEN 1512 : 1997
Spray tight suits.
Suits which can protect against saturation of liquid chemicals, where the
volume of liquid builds up on the suit forming pools, resulting in rivulets.
Requires a barrier fabric ( chemical tests to EN369 Permeation test) and
sealed seams.
type 5 prEN 13982 : 1999
Dry particle suits. Suits for protection against hazardous dusts and dry
particles.
type 6 prEN 13034 : 1997
Reduced spray suits.
Suits for protection against light spray and splashes of liquid chemicals
where there is no directional spray or build up of liquid on the suit, but
there may be a fine mist of droplets in the atmosphere.
In addition, fabrics and
seams are tested according to various EN standards in order to provide a
mechanical profile of the garment. Finally the garments must be manufactured
under appropriate quality control procedures such as ISO 9000.
"Whole Suits test"
Each of the Types defines a "whole suit" test - a test on a finished garment
to confirm that a coverall is suitable for the task. This generally involves
the test subject entering a glass booth and being sprayed with either a
coloured liquid or dry particles. The type of spray used differs according
to the type being tested. The result is either a pass or a fail.
Please note: This is
a brief explanation of the types to serve as an introduction only. There are
many other tests involved in gaining the CE mark for a product. If you would
like further information please call our Customer Services Direct line no.
+971 4 3393903.
