SafetyGate In May, the EU’s rapid alert system for non-food hazardous products was ordered to recall some products from the market due to safety issues identified in various personal protective equipment (PPE) products. Here are the products subject to the recall and the risks involved:

EUROPE

Product category	Risk type	Risk description	Legal provisions (at EU level) and European standards against which the product was tested and did not comply
Body protectors set	Injuries	Due to the insufficient effectiveness of the attachment of the protectors, they may easily detach from the legs and hands, which may result in a threat to the safety and health of the user. At the same time, elbow pads do not provide the required level of impact protection.	The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation nor with the European standard EN 14120.
Protective Equipment	Injuries	The shock-absorbing capacity of the helmet is insufficient. As a result, the user might suffer injuries in case of an impact.	The product does not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation nor with the European standard EN 1078.
Clothing, textiles and fashion items	Chemical	The product contains chromium VI (measured value up to 19.4 mg/kg). Chromium (VI) is sensitising, can trigger allergic reactions and can cause cancer.	The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.

 

UK
OPSS In May, 22 warnings on Personal Protective Equipment were issued. Here are some of these warnings:

Product category	Risk type	Risk description	Legal provisions (at EU level) and European standards against which the product was tested and did not comply
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Life JackeT	Drowning	The product has been assessed as presenting a serious risk of drowning. The product was advertised as a life jacket, but once purchased was identified as a buoyancy aid (which does not provide the same level of protection). When tested, the product did not meet the level of buoyancy required of a buoyancy aid, and therefore may not have performed as expected when relied upon.  The product also requires improvements to marking, labelling and documentation.	The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Life Jacket / Buoyancy Aid	Drowning	The product has been assessed as presenting a serious risk of drowning as it was advertised as a life jacket, but once purchased was identified as a buoyancy aid (which does not provide the same level of protection). The product does not meet the minimum level of buoyancy and there are no minimum and maximum user’s mass stated. The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that they have been adequately conformity assessed. Mandatory third-party conformity assessment by a body authorised for PPE is required by the relevant Regulations for those products which protect against more serious risks, the absence of such independent assessment for such a product may increase the risk to the consumer that the product may not perform as expected when relied upon as a buoyancy aid.	The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) – Climbing Harness	Injuries	The product has been identified as presenting a serious risk of injuries or falling from a height as it is classed as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that it has been adequately conformity assessed. Mandatory third-party conformity assessment by a body authorised for PPE is required by the relevant regulations for those products which protect against more serious risks. The absence of such independent assessment for such a product may increase the risk to the consumer that the product may not perform as expected when relied upon across a wide range of uses.	The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Life Jacket / buoyancy aid	Drowning	The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that they have been adequately conformity assessed. Mandatory third-party conformity assessment by a body authorised for PPE is required by the relevant Regulations for those products which protect against more serious risks, the absence of such independent assessment for such a product may increase the risk to the consumer that the product may not perform as expected when relied upon as a buoyancy aid.	The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Life Jacket / buoyancy aid	Drowning	The product has been assessed as presenting a serious risk of drowning as it was advertised as a life jacket, but once purchased was identified as a buoyancy aid (which does not provide the same level of protection). The product does not provide the minimum level of buoyancy and there are no minimum and maximum user’s mass stated. The product was not supplied with the required compliance documentation or markings to demonstrate that they have been adequately conformity assessed. Mandatory third-party conformity assessment by a body authorised for PPE is required by the relevant Regulations for those products which protect against more serious risks, the absence of such independent assessment for such a product may increase the risk to the consumer that the product may not perform as expected when relied upon as a buoyancy aid.	The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment or the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018.