What the category tells you
PPE legislation divides products into three categories according to the risk they protect against. The category says nothing about how “good” a product is; it describes the severity of the harm if the protection fails, and the conformity route that follows from it.
| Category | Risk | Conformity route |
|---|---|---|
| I | Minimal risks only: superficial mechanical injury, dilute cleaning agents, brief contact with hot surfaces not exceeding 50 °C, sunlight, adverse weather | Manufacturer's own declaration |
| II | Every risk that is neither I nor III | Type examination |
| III | Risks that are fatal or cause irreversible damage to health: harmful substances, the respiratory tract, high or low temperature, falls, electricity, drowning, cutting hand tools, bullets, noise | Type examination + continuing production surveillance |
Why the distinction helps the employer
That a device is category III also sets how serious selection and verification have to be: pre-use checks, periodic examination and record keeping all rise in importance, and training must be practical rather than informational. Fall arrest systems and respiratory protection are the clearest examples.
A common mistake
The category is not “assumed” from the marking on the packaging. The declaration of conformity supplied with the product states which category it falls in and which standards it was assessed against. Where the purchase record is not kept together with that document, nothing is left to show which risk the item was bought for.