REGULATION (EU) No 425 of 9 March 2016 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL repeals Council Directive 89/686/EEC Regulation (EU) and lays down the requirements for the design and manufacture of PPE, imposing the CE marking.

In this case, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) belongs to the First Category when it protects against minor physical risks, which do not cause irreversible injury. These PPE therefore protect against superficial injuries caused by:

• Mechanical instruments and apparatus;
• Cleaning products or prolonged contact with water;
• Impact or contact with hot objects, exposing them to a temperature not exceeding 50 persons;
• Ordinary atmospheric phenomena in the course of professional activities;
• Minor shocks and vibrations which could cause permanent damage to vital organs;
• Ocular lesions due to exposure to sunlight (not to be confused with lesions resulting from sun observation).

The PPE of thefirst category is designed so that the wearer can assess its effectiveness.
Another important feature, defined in Legislative Decree 475 of 4 December 1992, is that every garment or device belonging to this category must have an EC declaration of conformity issued by the manufacturer, and the EC marking shall be placed on the PPE and its packaging.