Many people have heard of the term CE Mark but some are unclear what it means or why it’s important.
‘CE’ is an abbreviation of the French phrase “Conformité Européene”, which when translated into English means “European Conformity”. Placing the CE mark on a product is a manufacturer's declaration that the product complies with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area (EEA). Products with CE marking can access all countries in the EU and circulate freely between those countries without the need for additional requirements or certifications.
For certain products, including personal protective equipment (PPE), it is mandatory to have a CE mark to be able to sell in the EU. A list of products this applies to can be found here.
So why is this so important?
● From a consumer’s point of view a CE mark allows you to buy with confidence that the product you are buying meets standard requirements such as health and safety.
● From a supplier perspective, if you are found to be supplying products without the requisite CE mark, your product may be withdrawn from the market and you may be liable for a fine or imprisonment.
● If a supplier sells a product without a mandatory CE mark, this could potentially invalidate their insurance, exposing them financially to litigation, should their product cause injury and/or financial loss to a consumer.
The SheffShield face visor has been CE marked, complying with EU Directive 2016/425, the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation. We employed BSI, one of the UK's most prominent testing organisations and notified body, to carry out the CE independent review and type testing of our visor. They carried out testing to ensure the design met the required standards for aspects such as fit and form, level of protection and clarity of viewing field.
When you are looking to buy PPE you should always ensure that the item is CE marked. Be careful about a confusing similar CE mark placed on Chinese Export
products. Consumers are arguably misled with a subtle difference between the two marks explained in this article.
We would also recommend that for your own peace of mind, you check that the supplier or manufacturer has a valid certificate from an appropriate notified body. Our certificate can be found here.