The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002

Complete PPE ready for use

3.6.2.  Under the foreseeable conditions of use:

1. the quantity of heat transmitted by PPE to the user must be sufficiently low to prevent the heat accumulated during wear in the part of the body at risk from attaining, under any circumstances, the pain or health impairment threshold;

2. PPE must if necessary prevent liquid or steam penetration and must not cause burns resulting from contact between its protective integument and the user.

If PPE incorporates refrigeration devices for the absorption of incident heat by means of liquid evaporation or solid sublimation, their design must be such that any volatile substances released are discharged beyond the outer protective integument and not towards the user.

• If PPE incorporates a breathing device, the latter must adequately fulfil the protective function assigned to it under the foreseeable conditions of use.

• The manufacturer’s notes accompanying each PPE model intended for brief use in high-temperature environments must in particular provide all relevant data for the determination of the maximum permissible user exposure to the heat transmitted by the equipment when used in accordance with its intended purpose.