The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) has published an online RPE user guide, which offers advice on the recent amendments to the RPE standards.

The guide focuses on the change to EN149 2001, which applies to disposable particulate respirators and will affect manufacturers and suppliers of RPE. The changes were made following concerns about the use of electro-static attraction to enhance the filtering process in oily conditions.

It was noted that RPE testing standards did not take account of products used in these condition, which are then reused after storage, and it was believed that safety could be compromised if the information on the product is unclear, or incomplete. A range of respiratory protection standards have therefore been adjusted to correct this problem, replacing the former versions, which now no longer have a ‘presumption of conformity’ to the PPE Directive/Regulations.

The online booklet gives information on how to differentiate between disposable products and those that can be reused after suitable cleaning.

To view the guide, visit www.bsif.co.uk For more information, contact the BSIF on 01745 585600, or e-mail enquiries@bsif.co.uk