PPE Regulation update expected to be approved this year

The business standards company BSI has a good post explaining how an updated version of the PPE Regulation is expected to be approved before the end of 2015.

The existing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive 89/686/EEC is now over 26 years old and clearly needs overhauling. The proposed changes have been approved in draft form by the European Commission and Parliament. All we need to happen now is for the European Council to agree it.

The key changes, as listed by BSI are as follows:

• PPE Directive will be replaced by a Regulation
• A number of types of protection will move from category II (intermediate) to category III (complex)
• There will be a requirement to supply a declaration of conformity with every item of PPE that is placed on the market
• A five year certificate of validity is being suggested bringing the Regulation in line with similar European requirements such as the Medical Devices Directive

For more information please visit the BSI website.

"No excuse" for unsafe low level platforms with PAS 250

A new Publicly Available Specification (PAS 250) has been posted by the trade body PASMA that aims to remove any excuses to do with unsafe low level platforms. PAS 250 sets out the minimum safety and performance requirements for low level platform use. It is sponsored by PASMA and facilitated by BSI Standards and published under licence from the British Standards Institution (BSI).

According to PASMA:

"Wherever there is high demand for a product and no existing standard in place there is always the risk that some designs may not meet even the most basic of safety criteria, and these inferior products can be marketed and distributed freely, potentially contributing to the already concerning accident statistics for low-level work at height. PAS 250 addresses this issue and sets the standard for podiums and pulpits going forward.

According to PASMA, there is now no excuse for using low-level access equipment that jeopardises safety and can put users at risk. The specification comprehensively covers all low-level work platforms with one working platform and side protection, for use by one person with a maximum working platform height of under 2.5 metres.

Sponsoring PAS 250 is the final step in a three-point plan from PASMA to ensure that podiums have a consistent standard of safety."

If you would like to read the PAS 250 specification it is available to purchase both at the PASMA online store and the BSI online store.