The technical regulation TR CU 019/2011 “On safety of personal protective equipment” specifies mandatory safety requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect the life, health and environment of its user and additionally prevent misleading actions towards the consumer.
The safety of personal protective equipment in this context means the absence of unacceptable effects on humans and the environment, thanks to the use of personal protective equipment - including the materials used in their production.
Before the product can be placed on the market of the eurasian economic union conformity shall be assessed. This is carried out in two forms: the EAC certification and the EAC declaration.
Legal framework
As mentioned before, the requirements for personal protective equipment are defined by the TR CU 019/2011 “On safety of personal protective equipment”. Such equipment may only be used if its safety complies with TR CU 019/2011 and conformity has been assessed. An exception may be made for personal protective equipment for the organisation of sport competitions or exhibition samples.
TR CU 019/2011 “On safety of personal protective equipment” in Russian
The following personal protective equipment is not included in the scope of application of the TR CU 019/2011:
- medicine
- microbiology
- underwater work
- some areas of aeronautics industry
- cosmetics
- fire protection
- some areas of protection against technical catastrophes
Conformity assessment procedure
The PPE is subdivided into several risk categories, that determine the type of conformity assessment. The categories indicate the risks from which the PPE is intended to protect. The higher the risk category is, the more demanding is the conformity assessment procedure. The request for conformity assessment shall be made by the manufacturer, distributor or importer.
Risk category I
This category includes the PPE of simple design, which can be used under low risk conditions. The type of conformity assessment, that applies for this category is the EAC declaration, which shall be issued by the applicant.
Risk category II
In this category are included PPEs of more complex design, that have to protect against fatal risks or serious damage to health. The conformity assessment procedure that applies to this category is the EAC certification.
EAC declaration
The EAC declaration is issued by the manufacturer/distributor. All certificates have to be provided by the applicant, who is also responsible for the given information. The notified body only verifies information from accredited test laboratories. After the EAC declaration has been printed on A4 paper it can be registered. The supporting documentations are the same for EAC certification and EAC declaration.
If the manufacturer/distributor is located outside the boundaries of the EAEU, the declaration is to be issued and subsequently registered by the importer or an authorized representative.
The following are the specified procedures, that are defined in the Technical Regulation TR CU 019/2011 “On Safety of personal protective equipment” and are valid for EAC declaration:
| Scheme | Description |
|---|---|
| 1D | is intended for series production. This scheme requires the type examination of product samples. Type examination of product samples is carried out by the manufacturer. |
| 2D | is intended for a batch or a single delivery. This scheme requires the type examination of product samples. Type examination of product samples are carried out by the manufacturer. |
| 3D | is intended for series production. This scheme requires product samples to be tested by a laboratory accredited by the EAEU. |
| 4D | is intended for a batch or a single delivery. This scheme requires product samples to be tested by a laboratory accredited by the EAEU. |
EAC certification
The EAC certification is carried out by the certification body, which can be chosen by the applicant himself. However, it is important that the notified body is accredited for the certification of this product.
The certification procedures for EAC certification are determined as well by the TR CU 019/2011 “On Safety of personal protective equipment”:
| Scheme | Description |
|---|---|
| 1C | is intended for series production. The EAC certificate is issued for a maximum of 5 years. In this case, samples are to be tested and a manufacturing audit is to be carried out. The EAC certificate is issued on the basis of the test report, examination of technical documents and results of the audit.
An inspection control must also be carried out every year. |
| 3C | is intended for a batch delivery. In this case, samples are also to be tested. |
| 4C | is intended for a single delivery. In this case, samples are also to be tested. |
| 5C | is intended in case of commissioning. In this case, samples are also to be tested. |
| 6C | is intended in case of commissioning if the producer has a quality management system certified in the EAEU. |
Supporting documentation
The supporting documentations for PPE shall be printed in Russian or rather the official language of the member states of the EAEU and include the following:
- test reports
- technical passport
- safety review
- instruction manual
- data sheet
- product description
- certification of the quality management system
- report of manufacturing audits for serial production
5 steps to successful EAC certification
- Preparation for EAC certification
- Examination in the accredited certification body
- Manufacturing audit
- Issue of the protocol
- Granting and registration of the EAC certification
At first all the accompanying documentation, including the technical passport, the instruction manual and the information of the applicant has to be prepared. If some documents are in a foreign language, a translation is necessary. The required documents depend on the concrete certification procedure.
As second step it shall be assessed if the PPE complies with the safety requirements. An extensive inspection of material, design and function of the PPE shall be carried out.
This step is only necessary if a serial delivery is involved.
The certification body issues the protocol, which contains all information regarding the test results, disadvantages and possible violations that might be assessed during the examination. If a violation has been identified it still might be possible that the EAC certification can be issued.
Congratulations, you have received your certification!
EAC Marking
The products, for which the conformity with the requirements of the TR CU 019/2011 has been confirmed, may be marked with the EAC conformity mark of the EAEU. If products are placed on the market without appropriate labelling, it may be punished with fines and confiscation.
Requirements for the EAC Conformity Mark:
- EAC has to be legible with the bare eye
- the dimension shall not be smaller than 5 mm
- the EAC Conformity Mark shall be monochrome and appear in colour contrast to the surface
- the mark can be attached in any way that ensures its legibility throughout the lifetime of the product
Authorized representatives
Manufacturers, which are not located in one of the member states of the EAEU are not permitted to request the assessment of conformity of personal protective equipment with the requirements according to TR CU 019/2011.
In order to carry out the conformity assessment the foreign manufacturer has to assign an authorized representative , which is located in one of the member states of the EAEU and can represent the interests of the manufacturer in the collaboration with the notified body of the EAEU regarding the safety and quality of the products and their conformity with the technical regulations.
According to the applicable law and in accordance with the technical regulation of the Economic Union, only a company established in the territory of the EAEU may be appointed as an authorized representative.
Period of validity of EAC conformity assessment certificates for personal protective equipment
The validity period of the EAC certificate or EAC declaration for personal protective equipment differs depending on the applied technical regulations, the selected scheme, the type of production (serial production, individual delivery, etc.) and equipment and ranges on average from one to 5 years. Those parameters are determined in the respective technical regulation.
Duration and costs for EAC certification
The duration and costs associated with an EAC certificate application for personal protective equipment depend on several different factors, such as the classification of the product, any required laboratory checks and the complexity of all examinations. As such the exact conditions of the EAC certification are always determined individually based on the required documentation.
Please note that an application for an EAC certificate can takeseveral weeks to process.
Delivery of the documentation
If you order the EAC Certificate on personal protective equipment, you will receive a copy of it via email immediately after our successful certification procedure. The original document and two certified copies will be sent by post.
