SIST EN 14404-5:2024

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2024
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 14404:2005+A1:2010
Osebna varovalna oprema - Ščitniki za kolena za delo v klečečem položaju - 5. del:
Zahteve za podloge za kolena (tip 3)
Personal protective equipment - Knee protectors for work in the kneeling position - Part
5: Requirements for knee mats (type 3)
Persönliche Schutzausrüstung - Knieschutz für Arbeiten in kniender Haltung - Teil 5:
Anforderungen an Kniematten (Typ 3)
Équipements de protection individuelle - Protecteurs de genoux pour le travail à genoux -
Partie 5 : Exigences relatives aux tapis pour genoux (type 3)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 14404-5:2024
ICS:
13.340.50 Varovanje nog in stopal Leg and foot protection
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 14404-5
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
May 2024
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.340.50 Supersedes EN 14404:2004+A1:2010
English Version
Personal protective equipment - Knee protectors for work
in the kneeling position - Part 5: Requirements for knee
mats (type 3)
Équipements de protection individuelle - Protecteurs Persönliche Schutzausrüstung - Knieschutz für
de genoux pour le travail à genoux - Partie 5 : Arbeiten in kniender Haltung - Teil 5: Anforderungen
Exigences relatives aux tapis pour genoux (type 3) an Kniematten (Typ 3)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 20 June 2022.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2024 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 14404-5:2024 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Performance levels of knee protectors . 5
5 Requirements . 6
5.1 Summary of the requirements . 6
5.2 General requirements . 6
5.3 Products for testing . 7
5.4 Orientation of the knee mats . 7
5.5 Specific requirements for knee mats . 7
5.6 Optional requirements - Water resistance . 9
5.7 Ergonomic requirements . 9
6 Marking . 9
6.1 General . 9
6.2 Specific . 9
7 Information to be supplied by the manufacturer . 10
Annex A (informative) Rationale . 12
Annex B (informative) Information on the problems of using knee protectors for work in
the kneeling position . 15
Bibliography . 16

European foreword
This document (EN 14404-5:2024) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 162 “Protective
clothing including hand and arm protection and life jackets”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by November 2024 and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by November 2024.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
EN 14404 “Personal protective equipment — Knee protectors for work in the kneeling position” is split into
6 parts:
— Part 1: Test methods;
— Part 2: Requirements for wearable knee protectors (type 1);
— Part 3: Requirements for the individual combination of knee pads and garments (type 2);
— Part 4: Requirements for the combination of interoperable knee pads and garments (type 2);
— Part 5: Requirements for knee mats (type 3);
— Part 6: Requirements for kneeling systems (type 4).
With the splitting of the standard, the following changes were made:
— definition of the protection zone;
— new combination of interoperable knee pads with interoperable garments (EN 14404-4);
— a bend test for interoperable knee pad was introduced;
— normative references were updated, further normative references are included;
— the cleaning of garments was taken into account;
— an uneven test surface and test was introduced;
— no more "UNISIZE" size; adjustment of size designation;
— additional markings were added.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
Introduction
Kneeling is a frequently occurring working position, but one which is problematic from an occupational
health viewpoint. Without knee protectors, workers can suffer immediate injuries from hard surfaces and
small stones and similar objects lying on the surfaces. However, no knee protector can ensure that
workers will not suffer medical complications if they are required to kneel for long periods.
It is important that knee protectors do not compromise venous drainage in the leg while kneeling or
standing up. Therefore, it is important that it is easy for workers to change position and to stand up to re-
establish a normal blood circulation at frequent intervals while wearing knee protectors.
Work in a kneeling position involves the risk of chronic diseases such as prepatellar bursitis and cartilage
injuries caused by continuous pressure on the knees. Knee protection is therefore recommended for all
work in the kneeling position. The protection should distribute forces evenly and prevent small hard
objects on the ground causing injuries. Many workers have pre-existing damage to their knees,
particularly to their cartilages from sports injuries and from previous work. These injuries will be made
worse by further kneeling. Wearing knee protectors cannot correct existing damage, but should slow
down further damaging effects.
Work in a kneeling position can expose the skin of the shins, knees and thighs to toxic and corrosive
materials normally kept off the body while walking and standing by waterproof or water-resistant
footwear. Knee protectors and trousers for use with such wet materials and particularly wet cement,
should take this into account and provide adequate protection.
For working in a kneeling position, four types of knee protectors exist:
— wearable knee protectors (type 1),
— knee pads in combination with garments (type 2),
— knee mats (type 3), and
— kneeling systems (type 4).
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements for knee protectors (knee mats (type 3)) and performance levels
for use when working in a kneeling position in order to reduce injuries to the knees caused by continuous
pressure and penetration. Requirements for the marking of knee mats and the information to be supplied
by the manufacturer are given. Where protection against additional hazards is claimed, performance
requirements from other standards are applicable.
This document does not apply to knee protectors that are medical devices or are intended for sports and
motorcycles.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 14404-1:2024, Personal protective equipment - Knee protectors for work in the kneeling position - Part
1:Test methods
EN ISO 13688:2013, Protective clothing - General requirements (ISO 13688:2013)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
knee mat (type 3)
device not attached to the body, but put into place as the user moves around
3.2
zone of protection
area of the knee protector that is intended to provide the user with protection of patellar and infrapatellar
areas against continuous pressure and penetration
4 Performance levels of knee protectors
The performance level of knee protectors is only specified by the penetration resistance and the force
distribution.
4 performance levels are specified. The tests for the performance levels are described in 4.4 and 4.5 of
EN 14404-1:2024.
— Level 0: knee protectors providing no protection against penetration and with a force distribution
less than 30 N when tested on flat even surface
— Level 1: knee protectors providing protection against penetration at a force of at least 100 N and
with a force distribution less than 30 N when tested on flat even surface
— Level 1U: knee protectors providing protection against penetration at a force of at least 100 N and a
force distribution less than 30 N when tested on uneven surface
— Level 2: knee protectors providing protection against penetration at a force of at least 250 N and
with a force distribution less than 30 N when tested on uneven surface
5 Requirements
5.1 Summary of the requirements
The summary of the requirements and the tests applicable are given in Table 1.
Table 1 — Summary of requirements for knee mats (type 3) and the tests applicable
Level
Clause Clauses describing the
Subject
number tests applicable
0 1 1U 2
EN 14404-1:2024, 4.1 and
5.2 General requirements X X X X
4.2
EN 14404-1:2024, 4.3.1;
5.2 Innocuousness X X X X
EN ISO 13688:2013, 4.2
5.3 Products for testing X X X X 5.3
5.4 Orientation of the knee mat X X X X 5.4
5.5.1.1 Size designation X X X X 5.5.1.1
5.5.1.2 Dimension of protection zone X X X X EN 14404-1:2024, 4.3.2
Penetration resistance
5.5.2 n.a. X X X EN 14404-1:2024, 4.4
(Performance levels 1, 1U and 2)
Force distribution on a flat even
5.5.3.1 X X n.a. n.a. EN 14404-1:2024, 4.5.2.1
surface
Force distribution on an uneven
5.5.3.2 n.a. n.a. X X EN 14404-1:2024, 4.5.2.2
surface
5.5.4 Peak transmitted force X X X X EN 14404-1:2024, 4.6.2
Optional requirement for water
5.6 X X X X EN 14404-1:2024, 4.8.3
resistance
Comfort during use on a flat even
5.7.1 X X X X EN 14404-1:2024, 4.10.1
surface
Comfort during use on an uneven
5.7.2 X X X X EN 14404-1:2024, 4.10.2
surface
6 Marking X X X X Clause 6
7 Manufacturer information X X X X Clause 7
n.a.: non-applicable
5.2 General requirements
Knee mats shall meet the general requirements.
Knee mats shall be safe to use and fit for their intended application specified by the manufacturer.
SIS
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