Testing personal protective equipment (PPE) is a key part of product development, quality assurance, and demonstrating compliance. The European Union’s PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 requires that PPE placed on the market meets the essential health and safety requirements set for them. Market eligibility can be demonstrated through standardized testing methods published by organizations such as CEN and ISO.
The goal of testing is to produce reliable and repeatable data on the performance of protective equipment under various usage conditions. The principle of independent testing is that results should be reproducible regardless of the laboratory conducting the tests. The durability of PPE is assessed inter alia through impact, puncture, and tensile tests, or by testing the chemical resistance of materials through breakthrough times of various chemicals. Additionally, testing may include examining how effectively a respirator filters impurities from the air or how well hearing protection reduces noise levels.
Testing is not just a formality or technical step
Testing is not merely a formality—it aims to ensure the suitability of protective equipment in real working conditions, giving users confidence that the PPE truly protects when protection is needed. Testing methods aim to verify that the equipment meets legal and standard requirements both in normal use and extreme situations, ensuring functionality throughout the product’s lifecycle.
Thus, testing is not just a technical step in bringing a product to market, but a crucial part of ensuring user safety. When the performance and quality of protective equipment have been reliably tested, employers, employees, and consumers can trust that the equipment will work when it’s needed most.
We offer, in our accredited*) PPE testing laboratory, versatile testing services which can also be applied to other products.
*) SGS Fimko Oy’s testing laboratory is accredited by FINAS Accreditation Service, testing laboratory T004, accreditation requirement EN-ISO/IEC 17025.
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of 99,500 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.
Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and reliability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and trusted specialized brands, including Brightsight, Bluesign, Maine Pointe and Nutrasource.
SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH1256740924, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN:SW).
