Certification under TR CU 019/2011 “On the Safety of Personal Protective Equipment”

PPE for the EAEU market requires conformity assessment under TR CU 019/2011. If the product falls within the scope of the regulation, an EAEU certificate or declaration becomes a mandatory condition for import and sales.

We work with European manufacturers and trading companies seeking access to the EAEU market. It is important to understand that CE and EAC are different systems. Therefore, we build the process so that the document is robust: the correct form of conformity assessment, the correct scheme, testing to the required standards, and a technical file without weak points.

What is TR CU 019/2011 and what is it for?

TR CU 019/2011 establishes safety requirements for personal protective equipment and the rules for conformity assessment before products are placed on the EAEU market. In practice, the regulation answers two questions:

• Does the product provide the declared protective properties;
• Are the evidence documents properly prepared – testing, marking, and operating documents – so that the product can withstand inspection.

Mistakes usually show up not “on paper”, but at the time of import, during market surveillance, or in B2B procurement. That is why not only the final documents matter, but also the quality of the evidence base.

Download link for the regulation:
TR CU 019/2011 “On the Safety of Personal Protective Equipment”

Which PPE is covered by TR CU 019/2011?

TR CU 019/2011 applies to personal protective equipment intended to protect people from harmful and hazardous factors in the workplace or under conditions of increased risk. It is important to note that applicability is determined not by the “product name”, but by the intended purpose, level of protection, design, and conditions of use. Therefore, products that look similar may require different forms of conformity assessment depending on the risks against which they protect and how they are declared by the manufacturer.

To help you orient yourself quickly, below are the main groups of PPE that most often fall under the requirements of the regulation.

PPE against mechanical impacts and general industrial contamination

This includes products that protect against impacts, punctures, abrasion, cuts, particles, and contamination.

Examples: protective clothing, safety footwear, gloves, helmets, safety glasses, and face shields.

What matters: correct model identification, materials/completeness, marking, and intended purpose.

PPE against chemical and biological factors

Used when in contact with hazardous substances, aerosols, or contaminated media.

Examples: insulating suits, chemical-resistant gloves and footwear, certain types of respiratory protection according to intended purpose.

What matters: confirmation of the declared protective properties, correct testing, and precise wording in the instructions and marking.

PPE against thermal risks (high/low temperatures, thermal effects, electric arc)

Used where there is a risk of burns, exposure to cold or high temperatures, splashes of molten metal, or arc exposure, depending on the intended purpose.

Examples: heat-resistant protective clothing, balaclavas, gauntlets, shields, footwear for high/low temperatures.

What matters: compliance with the declared field of application and confirmation of exactly those protection parameters declared by the manufacturer.

PPE against falls from height and for rescue

Used for restraint, positioning, and fall prevention, as well as for rescue work.

Examples: safety harnesses, lanyards, restraint systems, positioning and rescue devices.

What matters: a correctly selected conformity assessment scheme and a reliable evidence base, including testing and identification of the set completeness.

PPE for respiratory protection, hearing, eyes, and face

This includes protection against dust, aerosols, and other factors, as well as protection for eyes/face and hearing.

Examples: respirators/half masks, masks according to intended purpose, safety glasses and shields, earmuffs and earplugs.

What matters: the declared protective properties must be confirmed by testing, and the marking and instructions must correspond to the real intended purpose and limitations of use.

PPE against electric current and electromagnetic factors

Used where there is a risk of electric shock within the declared intended purpose.

Przykłady: dielectric gloves and footwear, certain protective elements according to intended purpose.

Istotne: testing and the correctness of intended-purpose wording so that the document does not “contradict itself”.

Dermatological PPE

These are skin protection products used to prevent exposure to aggressive factors or contamination, depending on the declared functions.

Przykłady: protective creams, pastes, cleansing agents with a declared protective function.

Istotne: precise intended purpose and correct confirmation of the declared properties.

Certificate or declaration: what exactly is required for you?

The key point is to determine the form of conformity assessment correctly.

• The EAEU Certificate of Conformity is issued through a certification body, which issues the certificate.
• The EAEU Declaration of Conformity is issued in the applicant’s name, the declaration is registered by the applicant, and responsibility for the evidence lies with the applicant.

The wrong choice of form or scheme leads to a “weak” result: the document formally exists, but during inspection questions arise regarding identification, testing, standards, or the technical file.

Conformity assessment procedure under TR CU 019/2011

We start with diagnostics to avoid rework: we define the intended purpose of the product, modifications, supply format (serial/batch), the state of the documentation, and the role of the applicant. Then we build the process in accordance with the requirements of the regulation and the selected scheme.

Selection of the assessment scheme

The scheme depends on whether you supply serial products or batches and on how the evidence base must be prepared. We select the scheme according to the actual supply model and the obligations for the validity period of the document.

Preparation of the technical file

We review and bring into order the product description, marking, instructions/passport, list of models, composition and materials where relevant, and the correctness of the declared protective characteristics.

Testing in an accredited laboratory

We agree the test program, support sample transfer, and make sure that the reports cover the requirements of the regulation and are suitable for registration.

Registration and issuance

The certificate is issued by the certification body. The declaration is registered by the applicant. We check the correctness of the data so that the document is verifiable in the register.

EAC marking and operating documents

Correct marking and instructions are a frequent risk area. We check the composition of the mandatory information, the language, model identification, and limitations of use.

What is needed at the start

Brief description of the product and intended purpose

Photo of the marking/packaging

Instructions/passport, if available

List of models/article numbers

Supply format (serial/batch)

Availability of test reports/results, if any

Country of manufacture and production site

Who can act as the applicant and is a representative in the EAEU required?

For manufacturers outside the EAEU, this is a fundamental issue: in a number of cases, an applicant in the EAEU is required, for example an importer/distributor or an authorized representative. At the diagnostic stage, we determine the correct role of the applicant and build the solution according to your supply format and sales structure:

• Manufacturer with a legal entity in the EAEU
• Importer in the EAEU
• Distributor in the EAEU
• Authorized representative in the EAEU
• Choice of model for the supply