ČSN P CEN/TS 14237 – TEXTILES IN HEALTHCARE
This Czech technical specification defines the recommended properties, test methods and minimum requirements for new textiles intended for use in healthcare and social care facilities. The aim of this standard is to provide guidance for selecting textile products suitable for maintenance by industrial laundering.
Main areas covered by the standard
- Types of textiles: The standard applies to various product groups, including bed linen, pillows and duvets, baby blankets, mattress protectors against fluids, blankets, towels, curtains, garments for patients (including children) and garments for staff.
- Performance requirements: The specification includes requirements for resistance to wear, colour fastness, dimensional stability, air and water vapour permeability and other properties important for hygiene and comfort.
- Test methods: It defines standardised test methods that make it possible to verify whether the textiles meet the specified requirements.
- Exclusions:The standard does not apply to surgical textiles covered by the Medical Devices Directive nor to protective clothing covered by the Personal Protective Equipment Directive.
ČSN EN ISO 13688 – PROTECTIVE CLOTHING – General requirements
This standard is the basic standard for protective clothing – General requirements. It is an international standard that sets out general requirements for ergonomics, innocuousness, labelling, information supplied by the manufacturer and care instructions for protective clothing.
The standard specifies basic requirements for protective garments that protect the user against risks, but are not intended as the sole protection against specific hazards.
It is used in combination with other specific standards that focus on particular protective properties.
ČSN EN 13795-1 and ČSN EN 13795-2 – Surgical clothing and drapes – Requirements and test methods
The standards ČSN EN 13795-1 and ČSN EN 13795-2 specify requirements and test methods for surgical drapes, gowns and cleanroom clothing that serve as medical devices to protect patients and healthcare personnel from the transfer of infectious agents during surgical and invasive procedures.
ČSN EN 13795-1 – Surgical drapes and gowns
This standard specifies the properties of single-use and reusable surgical drapes and gowns. It focuses on:
- Requirements for manufacturers and processors,
- Material characteristics,
- Test methods for assessing performance,
- Performance requirements for the products.
ČSN EN 13795-2 – Cleanroom clothing
This standard focuses on cleanroom clothing intended to prevent the transfer of infectious agents between healthcare personnel and patients. It specifies test methods for assessing the properties of such garments, including:
- Microbiological cleanliness,
- Particle contamination,
- Resistance to liquid penetration,
- Dry and wet strength of the material,
- Resistance to microbial penetration in dry and wet conditions.
The objective of both standards is to ensure protection against the transfer of infectious agents between patients and healthcare personnel during surgical and other invasive procedures.
ČSN EN ISO 20471 – HIGH-VISIBILITY CLOTHING – Test methods and requirements
The ČSN EN ISO 20471 standard relates to high-visibility clothing and specifies test methods and minimum requirements for such protective garments used in professional environments.
The standard sets requirements for garments intended to visually signal the presence of the wearer in situations where it is important that they are visible under all lighting conditions and from all viewing angles.
Garments are classified into visibility classes (1, 2, 3) according to the area of fluorescent and retroreflective material used.
ČSN EN 343 – PROTECTIVE CLOTHING – Protection against rain
The ČSN EN 343 standard (EN 343:2019) specifies requirements for protective clothing intended to protect against rain, snow, fog and ground moisture. It is essential for workers exposed to adverse weather conditions, such as construction workers, road workers or transport workers.
The standard evaluates garments according to two basic criteria:
- Resistance to water penetration
Assesses the ability of the material and seams to withstand water pressure. The classification is divided into four classes:
- Class 1: minimum resistance (≥ 8 000 Pa)
- Class 2: medium resistance (≥ 8 000 Pa after pre-treatment)
- Class 3: high resistance (≥ 13 000 Pa after pre-treatment)
- Class 4: highest resistance (≥ 20 000 Pa after pre-treatment) Pre-treatments include washing, flexing and abrasion in order to simulate wear in real conditions.
- Thermal resistance to evaporative heat transfer (Ret)
Measures the resistance to the evaporation of sweat through the garment. A lower Ret value means better wearer comfort.
- Classification is as follows:
- Class 1: Ret > 40
- Class 2: 25 < Ret ≤ 40
- Class 3: 15 < Ret ≤ 25
- Class 4: Ret ≤ 15
