On December 28, 2023, SAC approved the revision plan for the standards "Protective clothing - General requirement" and "Foot protection - General technical specification."

"Protective clothing - General requirement"

Protective clothing is essential equipment that shields the human body from external factors such as physical, chemical, and biological hazards, directly impacting the safety of workers' lives. There are over twenty main types of protective clothing, including flame-resistant suits, anti-static clothing, arc-resistant clothing, and chemical protective clothing, widely used in industries such as petrochemicals, natural gas, electricity, non-coal mining, and more. As the complexity of various operations and the range of hazardous factors involved expand, the number of individuals in China requiring or potentially requiring safety protection has surpassed 200 million, with an annual demand for protective clothing exceeding 80 million sets.

In 2006, China revised and adopted the international standard ISO 13688:1998, releasing "GB/T 20097-2006 General requirements for protective clothing." This standard outlined general requirements and recommendations for human ergonomics, aging, size, and labeling, as well as information that manufacturers should provide.

The new standard will adopt the "ISO 13688:2013 General technical specifications for protective clothing" and its amendment ISO 13688:2013/Amd 1:2021 "Protective clothing - General requirements," replacing GB/T 20097-2006.

The new standard will specify the types of protective clothing, general requirements, size and specifications, labeling, packaging, and storage. The general technical requirements include ergonomic requirements, aging (including color fastness, cleanliness, size changes caused by cleaning), material safety (including formaldehyde content, pH value, decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes, odor, hexavalent chromium content). The size and specification section stipulate the sizes of protective clothing, measurement positions for finished sizes, and allowable tolerances for major areas. The labeling, packaging, and storage section include durable labeling, specific labeling, and information provided by manufacturers. Additionally, performance checks (actual performance tests) and graphic symbols are added as informational appendices.

This standard will be used in conjunction with other standards specifying specific protective performance, becoming a mandatory requirement for entering the Chinese market.

"Foot protection - General technical specification"

China has numerous standards for foot protection, but there is a gap in the technical standard of general technical specifications within the framework of individual protective equipment for the feet. To fill this gap and enhance the standard framework for foot protection equipment, the Ministry of Emergency Management initiated this standard project.

The new standard will fully replace "GB/T 20098-2006 General technical requirements for protective boot use at low-temperature workplaces," becoming a crucial foundation supporting the entire foot protection product standard framework (including general technical specifications, products, and testing methods).

The new standard will specify the types of foot protection equipment, harmlessness requirements, comfort requirements, material strength requirements, safety requirements, and labeling specifications. It will apply to foot protection equipment that protects the wearer's feet from hazards in the work area or ensures the safety of the work area.