Sunglasses and other eyewear imported, manufactured or sold in the European Union must comply with a range of safety standards, chemical regulations, and labeling requirements.
This is covered
- PPE Directive
- EN Standards
- REACH
- Declaration of Conformity
- Technical file
- CE Marking
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive
Sunglasses and eyewear products are categorized as Personal protective equipment and under-regulated in EU countries. Before placing any sunglasses and eyewear products on the EU market, sit is Mandatory that the products are compliant with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) directive.
Noted that the PPE Directive 89/686/EEC has been repealed and replaced with EU 2016/245.
PPE Risk Categories
PPE products are categorized into three categories:
Category I: Includes PPE product that is intended to protect users.For example:
- Sunglasses
- Eye protectors for dust protection
Category II: Includes risks other than those listed in Categories I and III.
Category III: Includes PPE products that may cause serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health. For example:
- Eye protectors for use at high temperatures
- Eye protectors for use at extremely intensive IR radiation
Continue reading Sunglasses & Eyewear Regulations in the European Union: A Complete Guide
