Scott Safety, manufacturer of innovative respiratory and other PPE, has announced that it’s one of the first UK companies to achieve Module B Certification from the BSI (British Standards Institution) following the PPE Directive 89/686EEC being updated with the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 in April 2017.
From 21 April 2018, the current PPE Directive, which hasn’t been updated for over twenty years, will be replaced with (EU) 2016/425, meaning manufacturers, importers and distributors will need to ensure any new PPE product approved after the 21 April 2018 that is produced, imported or sold in the EU meets the new Regulation. All existing PPE product approved to the PPE Directive must be transitioned to the new PPE Regulation and have Module B certification in place by 21st April 2019 to be able to continue manufacturing/shipping into the EU.
As the BSI was the first UK organisation to become appointed as a Notified Body to the new PPE Regulation, it has the authority to issue post-dated Model B certificates to certain manufactures to help them prepare for the change over next year. Scott Safety was among a handful of companies that were awarded with these certificates due to its continuous commitment to product safety.
Key changes to the updated PPE Regulation include:
- Specific scope and exclusions
- Now has provisions for distributers and importers
- Changes to module names
- Changes to product categorisation; life jackets and hearing protection to Category 3
- Bespoke PPE covered by the Regulation
- Declaration of Conformity (or web link) needs to be available with each product
- 5 year validity for EU Type Examination certificates
Mark Saxon, Regulatory Affairs Manager at Scott Safety, commented: “Scott Safety products protect thousands of individuals each day, therefore ensuring that our products are tested and meet the new PPE Regulation ahead of the deadline is vital. We’re really proud to be one of the first UK companies to achieve PPE Regulation Module B; it’s always great to be recognised for our high standards and rigorous testing processes.”
Scott Safety was acquired by 3M earlier this year.