^{Personal Protective Equipment}

 The necessity and importance of personal protective equipment is undoubtedly a well-known fact by the manufacturers who produce work clothes and work  safety materials in business sectors that require various safety measures (construction, industry, chemistry, laboratory, radiation, etc.)  . Apart from these, it was at the end of December 2019 that the whole world became acquainted with the existence of personal protective equipment and made close contact. COVID-19, which emerged in the Wuhan province of China and caused deaths all over the world, prompted states to take a series of serious measures, also caused radical changes in our lives.

When it comes to personal protective equipment, which is among the occupational safety materials, many of us can think of some tools, materials and clothing. With this article, we will try to find out what PPE is or is not. The directorate, published by the European Union as 2016/425 Personal Protective Equipment, was translated as "Personal Protective Equipment" in Turkey and published in the official newspaper. The Ministry of Family and Social Studies is responsible for the implementation of the regulation. Personal protective equipment according to the definition in the regulation; It is expressed as devices, tools or work safety materials designed to be worn, worn, carried and held in order to protect against one or more health risks.

Based on the regulation and definition, eye and face protectors ( visors ,  goggles ,  full face masks ), ear protectors ( earplugs, soundproof headphones ,  earmuffs attached to the helmet ), head protectors ( miner's helmet, construction helmet, fireman's helmet , helmet), hand and arm protectors ( gloves , sleeves), foot and leg protectors ( work shoes ), body and body protectors ( safety belt , disposable overalls) and respiratory system protectors ( chemical gas mask, full face gas masks, half face gas masks, dust mask ) is counted among the types of personal protective equipment. 

According to the regulation; While classifying personal protective equipment, it is determined within the framework of the risk group of the areas to be used. Accordingly, they were classified as Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3.

Category 1: Personal protective equipment, superficial mechanical injuries, contact with weakly effective cleaning materials or prolonged contact with water, contact with hot surfaces not exceeding 50°C, damage to the eyes due to exposure to sunlight, minimum at the level of non-extreme atmospheric conditions level of risks.

Category 2: Includes risks other than Category 1 and Category 3.

Category 3: It includes risks that cause death or irreversible damage to human health and very serious damage (chemicals, harmful biological agents, ionizing radiation, etc.). Category 3 products, which are very common nowadays due to the pandemic; EN 14126, Type 3, Type 4, Type 5 and Type 6 are disposable laminated coveralls, visors, N95 and FFP2 face masks.

Personal protective equipment consisting of occupational safety materials for human protection can only be placed on the market with CE certificate. For this reason, the right personal protective equipment saves lives. CE certified product; It is expressed as the level of meeting the minimum requirements in terms of human health, life and property safety, environment and consumer protection. 

 The fact that personal protective equipment is classified as stated above is actually closely related to CE certification. For example; Category 1 disposable coveralls can be put on the market by declaring that they meet the minimum requirements with the declaration of the manufacturer without the need for a notified body. However, for Category 3 disposable overalls, first of all, testing and certification processes are carried out by the notified body, and the CE mark is added to the product.

Kardelen, which has been operating in the industrial workwear sector for 28 years with its understanding of quality, customer satisfaction and designs, continues to produce work clothes, work shoes and work safety materials. If you care about the health of both yourself and your employees,   you can visit kardelentekstil.com.tr for personal protective equipment, work clothes, work vest, work shoes and work safety materials.