What certificates should winter clothing for employees have?
The obligation to have the CE mark and/or meet the Polish Standards depends on whether the heat-insulating cap, jacket – winter clothing for an employee performs the function of workwear or protective clothing at a given position.
It can be assumed that a hat used in average climatic conditions can be defined as workwear. In such a situation, it is enough to ensure its compliance with Polish Standards. In the case of exposure of the worker to work, e.g. at very low temperatures: in an open area, in a refrigeration chamber where the temperature is very low, the cap should be defined as protective clothing/personal protective equipment. Then it must have a declaration of conformity with the requirements of the relevant standards and be marked with the CE mark.
The definition of a hat or jacket as protective or working clothing should result from an occupational risk assessment taking into account: conditions occurring in a given workplace, ergonomic requirements, health status of the employee.
Protective clothing is one that protects an employee from one or more hazards. According to Annex 2 to the General Health and Safety Regulation, protective clothing can be classified as personal protective equipment.
Table 1 of Annex 2 to the General Health and Safety Regulation (EHEA) indicates that in the case of physical thermal hazards, the head should be m.in secured in order to reduce the risk associated with this hazard. In addition, this protection has been directly called personal protective equipment.
Table 2 of that regulation, on the other hand, indicates examples of work during which it may be required to protect the head from low temperature. These are the works:
- in the open at very low temperatures
- work in rooms with very low temperatures.
According to the obligation, the employer must provide the employee with personal protective equipment that meets the requirements for conformity assessment set out in separate regulations. This means that they must have a declaration of conformity with the requirements of the relevant standards and be marked with the CE mark.
A heat-insulating cap may be considered in an establishment as workwear when it performs functions to protect the worker’s own clothing from damage and contamination or due to technological, sanitary or health and safety requirements.
An example of a hat as workwear is its use to move between company buildings. Another example is performing work outside in average climatic conditions, but not at very low temperatures – then it should undoubtedly be treated as PPE. Workwear often also performs representative functions, advertising – it contains the company’s logo, is in a color characteristic of a given company, etc.
It should be remembered that the type of assigned personal protective equipment and workwear should be the result of an occupational risk assessment, which should take into account: conditions occurring in a given workplace, ergonomic requirements, the health condition of the employee.
In view of the above, it should be assumed that a cap used in average climatic conditions can be defined as workwear. In such a situation, it is enough to ensure compliance with Polish Standards. If a worker is exposed to work, e.g. at very low temperatures in the open, in a refrigeration chamber where the temperature is very low, the cap should be defined as protective clothing/personal protective equipment. Then it must have a declaration of conformity with the requirements of the relevant standards and be marked with the CE mark.
Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.
