On February 13, 2025, the European Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/286, which sets new technical requirements for safety equipment. In particular, it introduces clearer and more up-to-date standards for ear protection, personal fall protection equipment and eye and face protection equipment.
The new decision updates the previous Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 and provides more detailed regulations on the design, manufacturing and testing of this equipment. In particular, the standards for EN 352 series ear defenders and EN 813:2024 seat belts have been updated. These standards have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and, if the relevant products comply with these standards, they are deemed to meet the essential health and safety requirements set out in EU Regulation 2016/425.
The new regulation aims to make personal protective equipment used to ensure the health and safety of workers in the workplace more compatible and effective. This update aims to facilitate the free movement of products within the European Union, while at the same time better protecting workers against risks in the workplace.
The details of the new decision cover the following technical requirements:
- EN 352-6:2020+A1:2024 (Ear protectors with voice input for safety purposes)
- EN 352-8:2020+A1:2024 (Ear protectors with audio input for entertainment purposes)
- EN 352-9:2020+A1:2024 (Earplugs with audible input for safety purposes)
- EN 352-10:2020+A1:2024 (Earplugs with audio input for entertainment purposes)
- EN 813:2024 (Personal fall protection equipment – Seat belts)
Certain provisions of this decision will enter into force on November 11, 2025 and August 14, 2026.
