EN 13034
Protective Clothing against Liquid Chemicals – Limited Protective Performance
EN 13034: PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AGAINST LIQUID CHEMICALS – LIMITED PROTECTIVE PERFORMANCE
Update: The content of this article is under review due to some errors will be republished by 30th November 2023.
Personal Protective Equipment within this category must demonstrate its suitability to protect where there is a risk of potential exposure to a light spray, liquid aerosols, or low pressure/low volume splashes against which a complete liquid permeation barrier (at the molecular level) is not required.
Under the EN 13034 standard, the fabric is tested for protection against four liquid chemicals:
- sulfuric acid (dissolved in water with a concentration of 30%)
- caustic soda (dissolved in water with a concentration of 20%)
- o-xylene
- butanol
These four chemicals represent common chemicals often found and used in the Industrial workplace. Workwear certified to the EN 13034 standard will, as a general rule, offer sufficient protection against all acids and alkalis (also called bases) that are dissolved in water.
About the EN 13034 Testing Process
During testing, the temperature of the chemicals is 20ºC with a margin of 2ºC. There are then two results from the test. Firstly, how much chemical liquid is repelled by the fabric, and secondly, the percentage of the liquid that the fabric will let through within a one-minute timeframe. The results then allow the fabrics to be placed into either Class 1, 2, or 3 (the highest being 3) depending on the results and according to the following tables:
| Class | Repellent Capacity |
|---|---|
| 1 | >80% |
| 2 | >90% |
| 3 | >95% |
| Class | Permeability |
|---|---|
| 1 | <10% |
| 2 | <5% |
| 3 | <1% |
See above, a video demonstration of the technology that makes this possible. These trousers have a FC Fluorocarbon finish!
Understanding the Limitations of EN 13034
For a fabric to achieve the EN 13034 standard, the test only needs to be passed for one of these four chemicals although usually two are passed – sulfuric acid and caustic soda. Hence the limitations of the EN 13034 standard as there are clearly thousands of other chemicals used in the workplace which could impact a fabric and reach the wearer in different ways. However, if you wish to test an additional chemical that is specific to your workplace, then this is easily achieved for a small additional cost, and the resulting Repellent and Permeability figures will be provided to you in an official report.
EN 13034 Test data for Diesel and Petrol
Hazchem has undertaken additional testing to EN 13034 for Petrol and Diesel – 2 liquids used daily by our customers. We can share these results with you on request and help you understand further the benefits HAZTEC® Workwear which is certified to EN 13034 can offer.
Washing EN 13034 Workwear
When the fabric is new, the EN 13034 treatment is also new and able to protect at its maximum level. Washing cycles however will reduce the performance of the treatment and if continued protection is required, the garments should be retreated. Whilst this can be performed in a domestic washing machine, the drying cycle is also equally important to reset the treatment onto the fabric. This process of retreatment is best done by a professional laundry, and we recommend you discuss this with your provider. Please find information about PHS HERE.
You can also read more about washing your HAZTEC® Flame Resistant Workwear in our Washing Guide HERE.
Understanding Type 6 versus Type PB6 under EN 13034
Within the EN 13034 standard, there are 6 classifications for Chemical Splash protection with Type 6 being the lowest
designed for Chemical Splash and Type 1 being the highest and typically for protection against radioactive materials.
You will also notice that some garments certified to EN 13034 are certified to Type 6 and some to Type PB6. For a garment to pass Type 6, it must be a full suit (or coverall) and the test is done in a laboratory on a mannequin. This test is called the Spray Test, and it determines the amount of fluid that will pass from the outside of the garment to the inside within a time duration.
PB stands for Partial Body protection. Where a Trouser and Jacket combination for example is available, to match with a complete suit/coverall that has been tested under the Spray Test, then you will see these garments marked as Type PB6. When worn in conjunction with each other, the protecting properties of the set are deemed to be the same as the suit/coverall.
Other testing requirements under EN 13034
There are other tests performed under the EN 13034 standard and these include Abrasion Resistance, Seam Strength, Tear Strength, and Puncture Resistant tests. All these tests ensure that the garment will provide sufficient protection to your team with wearing these garments and for any of these tests, the minimum requirement must also be achieved.
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