EN 14404: Protective clothing used during work on the knees

Category 2 PPE: significant risks.

This protection protects the knees.

Kneeling is not a natural position. However, it can be very practical to kneel down to perform certain tasks. This can cause discomfort, injuries or lead to conditions such as hygroma.

To protect your knees, you may want to consider using knee protection. However, no knee protection can guarantee that workers will not suffer medical complications if they have to remain kneeling for long periods of time.

There are four types of protection:

Type 1 knee protection: Knee protection that is separate from other clothing and fastened around the leg.
Type 2 knee protection: Plastic foam or other padding inserted into pockets on the legs of trousers or permanently attached to the trousers.
Type 3 knee protection: Devices not attached to the body but put in place when the user is moving. They can be designed for each knee or for both knees together.
Type 4 knee protection: Protection for one or both knees, forming part of devices with additional functions, such as a frame to help stand up or a kneeler.

At Molinel, we will be using type 2.

For type 2: 3 performance levels:

Level 0: flat floors – no penetration resistance required.
Level 1: flat surfaces – penetration resistance of at least 100 N (± 5).
Level 2: difficult conditions, penetration resistance of at least 250 N (± 10).

EN 14404 standard, combined expertise

She tests a set: a knee pocket design and foam.

She specifies the performance of this set:

Through mechanical tests that prove that the protective foam distributes the applied forces evenly and prevents small hard objects on the ground from causing injury.
Through ergonomic tests (wear tests) that prove the correct positioning of the foam in relation to the knee during movement.

Good to know

EN 14404 protection is only guaranteed if the trousers are worn with the foam pads specified for them.

Trousers worn without foam pads or with foam pads other than those specified will not be eligible for EN 14404 protection.