Helly Hansen Workwear Safety Standards
The CE Marking System
Helly Hansen makes workwear which falls under the definition of personal protective equipment (PPE), and is therefore marked in accordance with the CE marking regulations (EN standards). Such workwear is intended to protect against accidents or injuries when working under conditions involving cold, heat, flame, rain and reduced visibility.
The EU directives classify PPE in three categories:
Category 1 covers the lowest level of PPE. The user is assumed to assess the needs for protection himself, and there is a limited risk of severe consequences of not using appropriate clothing. The products under this category are self declared by the marketer to comply with the standards. HH products under this category are waterproof clothing (EN 343) and clothing protecting against cold (EN 342).
Category 2 covers products intended to be used in environments with risk for severe, but not fatal consequences (not category 1 nor 3). The products must be tested and certified by a notified body. Products under this category are flame retardant clothing (EN 531/533), clothing for high visibility (EN 471) and lifejackets (EN 395, 396 and 399) and buoyancy aids (EN 393).
Category 3 covers products and environments where the user can be exposed to mortal danger or to dangers that may seriously and irreversibly harm health.
Product Performance
The CE mark provides documentation that the product complies with performance standards set for a product of such nature. It is not an assurance that the product will prevent risk of accidents or severe injuries when the user is exposed to such risks in a working environment. Below is a condensed presentation of the EN standards used in the HH Workwear collection. For complete information about the CE marking system, please contact our representative or the local authorities.
- The test data is given as an integral part of the symbol as measured to prescribed methods or on a scale from 1 to 3, whereby 3 is the highest level.
- The actual data for a HH product is given on the inseam label and on the booklet attached to the garment as well as in the product section of this website.
EN340
Size Designation
EN 340 is a reference standard, used only in combination with specific standards such as EN 342 etc. EN 340 specifies general requirements for ergonomics, aging, sizing and marking of protective clothing, and for information supplied by the manufacturer. The standard specifies size designation and measurements of protective clothing ISO 3635, and the use of pictogram with information about standardised sizing system. All HH Workwear garments comply with such directives,
EN342
Protection against cold
The standard specifies test methods and demands on performance of clothing which is intended to protect against cold. Helly Hansen has tested the products in accordance with a method (B) whereby the insulation (X) is measured for an ensemble (jacket/trouser) worn with a base layer. Also air permeability (Y) and water vapour resistance (Z) are measured.
- X Insulation, actual data (higher figure is best)
- Y Air permeability, level 1,2 or 3
- Z Water vapour resistance, level 1,2 or 3
EN343
Protection against foul weather
The standard specifies test methods and demands on fabrics and seams in garments intended to protect against foul weather, i.e. weather conditions with combinations of precipitation (rain, snow), fog, humidity and wind at temperatures down to 5°C. The garments are tested for waterproofness (X) and water vapour resistance (Y).
- X Waterproofness, level 1,2 or 3
- Y Water vapour resistance, level 1,2 or 3
EN393
Buoyancy Aids 50N
The standard specifies test methods and requirements for design and performance of buoyancy aids with 50N buoyancy for adult sizes. Buoyancy aids include vests and suits/garments providing buoyancy or flotation; these products do not bring the person into a stable position in the water. EN ISO 15027-3 Class D provides a standard for a floatation suitable to protect against hypothermia
EN395
Life Jackets 100N
The standard specifies as above for life jackets with 100N buoyancy. In the HH collection the standard covers life jackets with floatation foam. Life jackets bring an unconscious person into a defined and stable position which prevents water from penetrating mouth and nose.
EN396
Life Jackets 150N
The standard specifies as above for life jackets with 150N buoyancy. In the HH collection the standard covers life jackets with floatation foam. Life jackets bring an unconscious person into a defined and stable position which prevents water from penetrating mouth and nose.
EN 470 – 1
Protective clothing during welding or similar operations
The clothing is intended to protect the user against small splashes of molten metal (EN348), short contact time with flame (EN532), and ultra violet radiation, and to be worn continuously for up to 8 hours at ambient temperature.
EN471
High visibility clothing
The standard specifies requirements for clothing intended to provide visibility of the user in hazardous situations under any light conditions by day and under illumination by vehicle headlights in the dark (24 hours visibility). Effective visibility is to be provided by a fluorescent fabric and reflective stripes. The visibility is measured as a combination of the area and positioning of the reflective materials (X) and the quality of same (Y).
- X Area reflex/fluorescent fabric, level 1,2,3
- Y Reflex type/quality 1 or 2
EN531
Protection against heat and flame
The standard specifies the performance requirements for protective clothing for workers exposed to heat. Limited flame spread (A) (Pass/Fail) is tested in accordance with a test method defined by EN 532. To pass the EN 531 requirements the clothing must also protect against at least one form of heat. The heat may be in the form of convective heat B (level B1-B5) according to EN 367, radiant heat C (level C1-C4) according to EN 366, molten aluminum splash (D) according to EN 373, molten iron splash (E) according to EN 373. HH products subjected to EN 531 are tested on radiant- and convective heat.
EN533
Protection against heat and flame
Protection against heat and flame. The standard specifies the performance requirements for the limited flame spread properties of materials and material assemblies used in protective clothing. The material(s) is classified in accordance with an index for limitation of flame spread (X) before and after a standard washing procedure (Y).
- X/Y Flame spread index, index 1,2 or 3.
- Y Number of washes at a given temperature.
If the index is 1 (lowest level) The garment can only be used outside a garment with index 2 or 3.
EN1149
Electrostatic properties
EN 1149 constitutes a set of requirements and test methods to measure protection against static electricity or charge decay.
EN 1149-1 specifies electrostatic requirements and test methods for electrostatic dissipative protective clothing to avoid incendiary charges. This standard is used for measuring surface resistivity of woven or kitted fabrics with metal fibres providing grounding.
EN 1149-2 specifies a test method for measuring the electrical vertical resistance of protective clothing materials. This European standard is not applicable for specifying protection against main voltages.
ENV 1149-3 specifies methods for measuring the dissipation of electrostatic charge from the surface of materials for garments. This standard is used for surface conducting or core conducting fibres, i.e. fibres without grounding.
prEN 1149-5 specifies product standard requirements for electrostatic dissipative protective clothing, used as part of a total earthed system to avoid flammable discharges. The material shall meet requirements according to EN 1149-3 or -1
CLC/TS 50354
Electrical Arc Protection
This standard specifies test and classifications for materials and clothing for wearing when at risk of exposure to an electrical arc. Such clothing shall not aggravate the electrical arc consequences, by catching fire or by melting onto the skin.
The protection provided by the clothing is classified as
- Class 1: 4kA
- Class2; 7kA
Specific dangers from accidental electrical arc arise from the high temperature, the pressure surge and the evaporation and splatter of hot molten metal, the effect of heat flux, noise, UV emission, hot oil or the consequences of physical and mental shock.
CE Markings
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