Below is a pretty comprehensive listing of what they mean, I hope this will prove of use to people.

Roger Hart

http://www.outsource-safety.co.uk

Summary of common standards used in Health and Safety

HEAD PROTECTION

* BS EN 397: Specification for industrial safety helmets.
* BS EN 812: Specification for industrial bump caps.

EYE PROTECTION

* BS EN 166: Specification for personal eye protection.
* BS EN 169: Specification for filters used in eye protection for welding etc (braze-welding, arc gouging and plasma jet cutting)
* BS EN 170: Specification for Ultra Violet filters.
* BS EN 171: Specification for infrared filters.
* BS EN 172: Specification for sun-glare filters.
* prEN 175: Equipment for eye & face protection during welding/allied processes.
* BS EN 207: Specification for laser radiation filters.
* BS EN 379: Specification for filters (switchable or dual luminous) used in welding etc.
* prEN 1731: Mesh type eye/face protectors against mechanical hazards & heat.

EAR PROTECTION

* BS EN 352-1: Specification for earmuffs.
* BS EN 352-2: Specification for earplugs.
* prEN 352-3: Specification for earmuffs attached to safety helmets.
* prEN 352-4: Specification for level-dependent earmuffs.
* BS EN 458: Selection, use, care & maintenance of hearing protectors.

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

* BS EN 136: Full face masks.
* BS EN 137: Self-contained open-circuit compressed air.
* BS EN 138: Fresh air hose & mask/mouthpiece.
* BS EN 139: Compressed air line & mask/mouthpiece.
* BS EN 140: Half masks & quarter masks.
* BS EN 141: Gas filters & combined filters.
* BS EN 143: Particle filters.
* BS EN 145: Self-contained closed-circuit breathing.
* BS EN 146: Powered particle filtering devices (including hoods or helmets).
* BS EN 147: Powered particle filtering devices (including masks).
* BS EN 149: Filtering half-masks against particles.
* BS EN 270: Compressed air line & hood.
* BS EN 271: Compressed air line or powered air hose & hood (abrasive blasting).
* BS EN 371: AX gas filters (against low boiling organic compounds).
* BS EN 372: SX gas & combined filters (against specific compounds).

HAND PROTECTION

* BS EN 374: Protective gloves against chemicals/ microorganisms.
* prEN 381-7: Protective gloves for chainsaws.
* BS EN 388: Protective gloves against mechanical risks (abrasion, cutting, etc).
* BS EN 407: Protective gloves against thermal risk (heat &/or fire).
* BS EN 420: General requirements for gloves.
* BS EN 421: Protective gloves against ionising radiation/radioactive contamination.
* BS EN 511: Protective gloves against cold.
* BS EN 659: Protective gloves for fire fighters.
* prEN 1082: Protective gloves against cuts by hand knives.
* prEN 12477: Protective gloves for welders.

GENERAL PROTECTION

* BS ENV 342:Protection against cold (more than -5°C).
* BS ENV 343: Protection against foul weather.
* BS EN 381: Protection for users of hand-held chainsaws.
* BS EN 412: Protection aprons against hand knives.
* BS EN 471: Protection against low-visibility hazards.
* BS EN 510: Protection against entanglement in moving parts.
* BS EN 1073-1: Protection against radioactive contamination.
* BS EN 1149-1: Protection against electrostatic discharge to avoid incendiary.

HEAT & FLAME PROTECTION

* BS EN 469:Protection for fire fighters.
* BS EN 470-1: Protection clothing for use in welding, grinding and cutting.
* BS EN 531: Protection clothing for industrial workers exposed to heat (includes molten metal splash in foundries -
* levels D (Alum) & E (Iron).
* BS EN 533: Protection against limited flame spread – limited materials.
* BS EN 1486: Fire-fighting specialised clothing.

CHEMICAL PROTECTION

* BS EN 465: Liquid chemicals (spray-tight) Type 4 equipment.
* BS EN 466: Liquid chemicals (liquid-tight) Type 3 equipment.
* BS EN 467: Liquid chemicals (partial body e.g.. Apron, sleeves & hoods).
* prEN 943-1: Liquid and gaseous chemicals Type 1 (gas-tight) + Type 2 (non gas-tight).
* prEN 1511: Liquid chemicals for limited life/use (liquid-tight) Type 3 equipment.
* prEN 1512: Liquid chemicals for limited life/use (spray-tight) Type 4 equipment.
* prEN 1513: Liquid chemicals for limited life/use (partial body).
* prEN 13034: Liquid chemicals for limited performance/re-usable Type 6.
* prEN 13982-2: Partial-tight limited life/re-usable Type 5.

FOOT PROTECTION

* BS EN 344-1:Requirements & tests methods for safety footwear.
* BS EN 344-2: Additional requirements for protection against water, cut resistance & metatarsal protection
* BS EN 345-1: Additional requirements for protection against IMPACT at 200J.
* BS EN 345-2: Additional requirements for protection against water, cut resistance & metatarsal protection.
* BS EN 346-1: Additional requirements for protection against IMPACT at 100J.
* BS EN 346-2: Additional requirements for protection against water, cut resistance & metatarsal protection.
* BS EN 347-1: Occupational footwear without safety toecaps.
* BS EN 347-2: Additional requirements for protection against water.
* BS EN 381: Protection against hand-held chain saws
* prEN 13287: Slip resistance specifications.