Developing Australian Standards for PPE is a long and exhaustive process and comes into place after a lot of combined effort on the part of the industry and the regulators. Experts and testing centres indulge in a lot of testing using the appropriate testing equipment to gather the required data.

1. YOUR GUIDE TO AUSTRALIAN
PPE STANDARDS &
REQUIREMENTS
WORKWEAR

3. Everything you need to know about Australian standards for PPE
workwear.
PPE has always been a necessity for people who have to work in high-risk work conditions. But
with the emergence of COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic, the importance of PPE has
become highlighted by folds.
PPE is Personal Protective Equipment, and it majorly includes respirators, goggles, masks, and
gloves. PPE protects people working in extreme conditions from cuts, injuries, and abrasions
that can occur due to a number of reasons, such as exposure to toxic agents, or falling from a
height, etc. However, one important thing to note here is that PPE is not a substitute for
proper workwear. It should not be used as a permanent safety measure. Instead, it should be
employed only as a short-term protective measure until better and more effective control
strategies are implemented in a workspace. Moreover, you can use PPE when working in
situations that call for an emergency measure, such as emergency workspace clean-ups.
InAustralia, PPE has its limitations especially when it does not fall into the Australian
Standards for workwear. Keep reading to find out what we are talking about:

4. PPE Selection Based on Australian
Standards
 Once you have established that you need PPE for your
work, the next step for you is to decide the correct type of
PPE that you need. Match your PPE and its type to the level
of risk you are exposed to when at work, and you can do
that via a thorough hazard assessment. Plus, you also take
to keep the sizing, durability, and comfort into
consideration.
 Companies and businesses can use the Australian standards
to guide themselves when ensuring the provisions and
availability of PPE at the workplace.The PPE must meet
the minimum performance as set by the standards which
clarify the characteristics of PPE based on its type. Let’s
dive into the PPE requirements as set by the Australian
Standards:

5. Masks and Respirators
 Masks and respirators are compulsory accessories that people who work in
chemical facilities are required to wear. However, because of the ongoing
pandemic, masks and respirators have become a necessity for everyone and
people have become more vigilant in the PPE they use. Masks have been proven
to decrease the risk of the wearer acquiring the disease. Companies need to keep
PPE standards in mind when deciding the correct type of masks, respirators, and
other devices.
 Besides, with so many types of products available in the market, it is natural and
inevitable to get confused. But it is very important to buy the right product
based on the intended purpose of the PPE depending on the workplace or the
environment where you will have to use the PPE.
 Respirators like N100, N95, and N99 have special labelling because the
AustralianGovernment requires that the equipment conforms to the standards
that have been set in action to regulate air-purifying particulate respirators. So,
when a respirator has the label saying N95, it means that the manufacturer of
the product has evidence that his product has attained the endorsement from
the National Institution for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

6.  For cases, when a product does not get the approval, then
performance test data stating that the N95 respirator
conforms to the fundamental standards is needed, which
include:
 ISO 22609:2004
 This is the international standard made for medical face masks.
This standard covers the PPE for infectious agents and the test
method employed is either by horizontal projection or fixed
volume of synthetic blood.
 AS/NZS 4381:2015
 This one is for face masks that are used in healthcare facilities. It
pertains to disposable or single-use masks.

7.  AS ISO 16900.3:2015
 This standard is followed for the use of respiratory protective
devices.The assessment of products that get approved is done
via a series of particle filter penetration tests.
 AS NZS 1716:2012
 This one offers the guidelines for respiratory protective devices,
especially those devices that are labelled with P3, P2, and P1
filtration classes. It also covers respirators that are not employed
in the medical field.
 AS NZS 1715:2009
 This standard provides instructions in using, maintaining, and
choosing respiratory protective equipment.

8. Reflective Clothing
 Reflective clothing or high-visibility (hi-vis) clothing has to fall
under the legislative standards and requirements. Many people
believe that any brightly coloured shirt or yellow coloured clothes
ensure that you are safe from any type of harm. However, that is
not the case, and it is, in fact, a lot more than that. Reflective or
hi-vis clothes have to follow the given standards:
 Also Read: Hi-Vis Clothing & its Benefits at Work
 AS/NZ 4602:2011
 This one is for high visibility (hi-vis) safety PPE. It mainly concentrates on
clothes that either use fluorescent or retroreflective materials.These
clothes can be categorised as Class D/N (day and night use), Class D
(daytime use only), and Class N (night-time use only). Hi-vis garments
help moving machinery or vehicle operators identify if other people are
also working in the same workspace.

9.  AS/NZ 1906.4:2010
 This standard is for retroreflective materials, which are mainly
worn by workers who work to maintain road traffic control. It
determines the colour of the clothes and also demands the gear
to encircle the upper torso properly. In addition, the back and
front of the clothes also need to sport a 0.2 square metre high-
visibility colour.The measurements do not include logos, silver
tape, or screen-prints, etc.
 AS/NZS 4399:
 This standard is set for high-visibility personal equipment with
ultraviolet protection or UPF.This type of PPE is a vital
investment for people who have to work directly under the sun in
extreme heat. However, it is important that you check the rating
of the PPE before buying clothes.The UPF has to be at least at 15
UPF.

10. Other Standards for PPE
 There are other standards that are set for PPE used by
medical and non-medical professionals, such as hand
sanitisers, surgical gloves, visors, and goggles, etc.
Standards for such products include:
 ANSI/AAMI PB70:2003
 This standard delivers guidelines for selecting drapes and apparel
that can keep the wearer safe from liquid contaminants in high-
risk areas, for instance, healthcare facilities.
 ASTM 1671
 This one mentions the resistance of materials in protective
clothing against harmful blood-borne pathogens.The materials
undergo a rigorous testing technique that involves the use of Phi-
X174 Bacteriophage Penetration testing.

11.  ISO 22610
 This standard constitutes gowns and surgical drapes in
healthcare settings. It tells the necessary information needed for
this medical equipment used by both the clinical staff and the
patients.
 ISO 22612
 The given standard explains the clothing required for protection
against infectious agents that pass the dry microbial penetration
test.
 ISO 10282:2014
 This one explains which disposable sterile rubber surgical gloves
need to be used.The AS/NZS 4179:1997 also follows the same
standard, but it may need updates.

12.  AS NZS 4011
 This is the standard set for single-use medical examination gloves. Rubber
solution and rubber latex gloves are specified in Part One of this standard.
 AS/NZS 1337.1:2010
 The standard under discussion deals with eye and face protective equipment. All
approved products in this standard undergo rigorous testing at the University of
New South Wales’ Optics and Radiometry Laboratory (ORLAB).
 EN13727
 This standard acts as guidance for hand sanitisers. Products that contain this
labelling have to pass an in vitro test.The test consists of an evaluation for the
decrease of transient organisms under comparative conditions.
 And these are the most important standards for PPE in Australia that you need to
know about, especially if you manage or work in a workplace where you have to
work in extreme conditions and the use of PPE along with workwear is very
important.

13. The Bottom Line
 Developing Australian Standards for PPE is a long and
exhaustive process and comes into place after a lot of combined
effort on the part of the industry and the regulators. Experts and
testing centres indulge in a lot of testing using the appropriate
testing equipment to gather the required data.These standards
are very crucial in a workspace because the safety of real people
(workers and the public), and businesses, depends on them.
 Therefore, it is always advised to keep these standards in mind
when buying PPE, whether you’re a business owner or an
employee. If your employees feel safe when working, they will
not only work better but the productivity and quality of work will
also improve.
 Also Read: Personal Protective Equipment: How to Choose the
Quality PPE in 2021