Workwear to protect against limited, accidental splashes of liquid chemicals

What is the EN 13034 standard?

This standard sets out the minimum requirements for clothing offering limited protection against chemicals.

It specifies two types: Type 6 and Type PB [6], which represent the lowest level of chemical protection.
Clothing is treated to prevent chemicals from penetrating its surface and to give it water- and oil-repellent properties.

The standard specifies that clothing should have characteristics protecting against chemical products including liquid mists, and potential exposure to light sprays and low pressure aerosols. The names of the chemical products that have been tested on the clothing, along with the corresponding results, can be found on the labels on each item of clothing.

Please note: water- and oil-repellent treatment must be reapplied to clothing according to the supplier’s instructions in order to maintain its protective properties.

EN 13034-certified fabric

Do all EN 13034-certified ranges that protect against liquid chemical splashes provide equivalent protection?

Every type of fabric certified against liquid chemical splashes by standard EN 13034 responds differently to the four liquid chemicals used for testing this standard.

To obtain certification for this standard, the fabric must have a Class 3 repellency level against at least one of these four chemicals, and at least a Class 2 penetration level against all four of these chemicals. Due to this, there are multiple different combinations.

In addition, only four liquid chemicals at specific concentrations are tested out of the hundreds of thousands that exist. As a result, a test must be carried out with the main chemicals used in the environment that the outfit will be worn in.

This means that mixing and matching different ranges is not always possible.