Knowledge centre
Standards, markings, test methods and certification procedures — in plain language, technically reviewed and dated. Every article gives a short, self-contained answer to a real industry question, then routes onward to the related test or procedure.
Standards library
EN ISO 20345, EN 388 and the rest — one page per standard: what it covers, and which test or certification relates to it. →
Markings decoded
What does S3, SR or 4X42F on a product mean? Footwear classes and glove pictograms — on one page. →
Industry resources & events
EU registers, standards bodies, sector associations and the industry's major trade fairs — curated. →
Certification & market access
PPE categories I, II and III — which product belongs where?
Regulation (EU) 2016/425 sorts personal protective equipment into three risk categories. With examples: what each category means and which certification route it carries.
PPE testing and certification in Europe: the landscape, and how to choose
Big TIC groups, national institutes, specialist notified bodies — who does what in European PPE testing, how to verify any of them, and what to compare.
The EU type-examination process, through the manufacturer's eyes
What happens from enquiry to certificate: documentation, type sample, testing, decision — and what the manufacturer's job is at each step.
When is EU type-examination required for PPE?
Decision logic for manufacturers and importers: which products can be self-assessed by the manufacturer, and which require EU type-examination by a notified body.
Who can certify PPE in the EU?
Only a notified body may perform EU type-examination. What a notified body is, how to verify one in the Commission's register, and what the four-digit number means.
Standards, plainly
EN 388 markings: how to read a protective glove's digit string
What the digits under the EN 388 pictogram mean — abrasion, cut, tear, puncture, the ISO cut letter and impact protection — and why each one is a measurement.
EN ISO 20345 classes: what SB, S1, S1P, S2 and S3 mean
Safety footwear classes in plain terms: what the SB baseline contains and what S1, S1P, S2, S3 add — plus the new S6 and S7 classes of the 2022 edition.
Tests & methods
Testing or certification? The difference between the two services
Laboratory testing yields measurement results; certification is the outcome of a conformity-assessment procedure. When you need which — and why BIMEO keeps the two strictly separated.
The Martindale abrasion test: what it measures and what the result means
The Martindale method is the standard abrasion test for textiles, leathers and linings. How it works, what the cycle count means, and what the result is good for.
What a test report contains — and what makes it evidence
The anatomy of a laboratory report: sample, method, results, evaluation. Why it outweighs a manufacturer's declaration, and what to check when you receive one.
What is the TDM cut test (EN ISO 13997), and when does it govern?
The TDM straight-blade cut test measures, in newtons, the force that cuts through a material. It yields the A–F letter on glove markings — and for high cut protection it governs.
Failure library
Chromium(VI) in leather: where it comes from and why it is restricted
Hexavalent chromium is not an intentional ingredient but a possible unwanted by-product of chrome tanning. Why it is a health risk, the logic of the limit, and how it is measured.
Why do shoe soles delaminate? The most common causes
Failure library: the typical causes of sole delamination — bonding process errors, surface preparation, material pairing, ageing — and how the laboratory determines which one occurred.
Regulation
CE marking for PPE manufactured outside the EU: the exporter's route
A manufacturer in India, Turkey, China or the UK can hold an EU type-examination certificate. The steps, the roles, and what one CE now covers — explained.
PFAS restriction on footwear and clothing: what changes on 10 October 2026?
Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 sets PFHxA limits for consumer footwear and clothing. Who is affected, what are the limits, and is PPE exempt?
The employer's duties around personal protective equipment
PPE must be provided free of charge, selected from a risk assessment, with rules set in writing. The duties under Directive 89/656/EEC — and how Hungary applies them.
What is the Digital Product Passport — and what does it have to do with the lab?
The Digital Product Passport will be the standardised digital carrier of product data in the EU. Less discussed: much of that data is born in laboratory measurement.