EU: Oven gloves are now considered PPE
In the future, oven gloves may only be sold under strict conditions. This is what the new European regulation for PPE wants.
The new European Regulation for Personal Protective Equipment (EU) 2016/425 was published on March 31, 2016. It regulates which requirements PPE must meet in order to be allowed onto the European market and applies as direct law in all EU states. After a transitional period of two years, the regulation will apply from April 2018.
However, the regulation does not only apply to protective equipment in the professional environment; PPE for private use is also affected. The regulation now also applies to PPE against protection and heat that has been specially developed for private use - such as barbecue and oven gloves. In the future, these will have to bear a CE mark to prove that they are manufactured in accordance with EU regulations and are actually heat-resistant.
However, it is not yet clear whether crocheted potholders are also affected by the Christmas market: according to a Report of the "Spiegel The "Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardization" (abbr. KAN) as soon as possible an EU interpretation paper to clarify what these new regulations mean in practice. Brussels would also have to develop a guide with examples.
By the way, gloves intended to protect against moisture and wetness in private use continue to be excluded from (EU) 2016/425 - so dishwashing gloves are not affected.
