Protective footwear, clothing and glove testing

The correct safety footwear whether it be for a construction worker, a motorcyclist or a fireman, is vital to ensure that feet are adequately protected. Some types of footwear are classified as Complex PPE, this means that in addition to satisfying the initial requirements of the PPE Directive, the manufacturer must also demonstrate annually to a Notified Body such as BSI, that the product continues to comply with the requirements of the standard it was initially tested against.

Examples of footwear we can provide testing and certification for include:

• Footwear for firefighters
• Safety footwear
• Personal protective equipment
• Protective footwear
• Occupational footwear

We can test and certify a wide range of protective clothing which is used in a variety of hazard scenarios, from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) protection, to splash proof aprons. As with all protective equipment, protective clothing will only perform within specified parameters, and it is important that all users are familiar with the limitations of the equipment.

We are also able to test and certify high visibility clothing. The standard for high visibility requires that clothing must provide visibility of the user in a hazardous situation under any light conditions by day, and under illumination by vehicle headlights in the dark (24 hour visibility). This is especially the case for incidents on or near roads or motorways.

Protective gloves are often an integral part of the required personal protection kit box. Gloves can offer a far reaching level of hazard protection from thermal, chemical and impact to bio-hazard and general household liquids.

Many gloves are designed to protect against one specific type of hazard. For example, firefighters' gloves are multi hazard resistant as they include additional protection against upper hand impact as well as high visibility strips.

Examples of gloves we can provide testing and certification for include:

• Protective gloves – firefighters
• Protective gloves - chemicals & microorganisms
• Protective gloves - microorganisms
• Protective gloves - chemical permeation
• Protective gloves - mechanical risks
• Protective gloves - heat and fire
• Gloves - general requirements
• Protective gloves - cold