The Directive on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 89/686/EEC

This directive (law) has been in force throughout European member states since 1995 and lists the essential requirements that personal protective equipment has to meet. These requirements are designed to protect the health of wearers and guarantee their safety.
An inventory of the risks in the workplace (carried out by the employer) is used to indicate the risks to which wearers are exposed. Depending on the seriousness of the risks, a number of conditions have to be met.

The directive specifies the following risk classes:

Category I:
PPE for low risks. This type of PPE is designed in such a way that the level of protection can be calculated without any expertise and without having to use additional aids. The failure of the equipment to protect the wearer may only result in slight and superficial injury. This type of PPE does not require certification by a Notified Body and the producer is responsible for indicating the level of protection that is provided. Rainproof clothing is an example of Category I PPE.

Category II:
PPE for medium risks. Most PPE falls in this category. The manufacturer must submit a technical file and a sample of each product to a Notified Body.
Clothes for welders and high-visibility clothing are examples of Category II PPE.

Category III:
PPE for risks of serious injury and threat of life. Besides the Category II conditions, a number of supplementary requirements have to be met. The manufacturer must be able to demonstrate that the quality of the PPE is guaranteed via a quality management system or annual random sampling performed by a Notified Body. The way in which this has to be done is described in Article 11a of the directive.
Clothing that provides protection against the risks of exposure to an electrical arc and clothing that provides protection against liquid chemicals are examples of Category III PPE.
   
The application of the European Directive on Personal Protective Equipment (89/686/EEC) is supported by several hundred European standards that detail product requirements, describe test methods, define terminology or make recommendations for use and maintenance.