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din en 343

EN 343 - Protective clothing

Standard for wind and weather protection

The EN 343 standard is a European standard focussing on protective clothing against bad weather and precipitation. It specifies requirements and test methods for protective clothing to ensure that it protects wearers from the effects of rain, snow, fog and moisture.

The standard defines different performance levels that assess the water penetration resistance or waterproofness and water vapour transmission resistance or breathability of protective clothing. Compliance with this standard is crucial to ensure that protective clothing provides reliable protection in different weather conditions.

In this context, it is important to understand the requirements and classifications according to EN 343 to ensure the safety and comfort of people wearing weather protective clothing. You can find out more about this in the following explanations.

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A woman wears multi-standard protective clothing with a neon yellow hood. In the background is a solar installation.

Questions and answers about EN 343*

What is EN 343?

DIN EN 343 is the standard for protective clothing for protection against weather conditions such as precipitation, rain, snow, fog, humidity or wind. Workwear that meets the requirements of the DIN EN 343 standard protects wearers from these weather conditions.

Who needs protective clothing in accordance with EN 343?

Protective clothing in accordance with EN 343 is required by anyone who has to work outdoors in the weather conditions described above. This may include the following occupational groups:

energy suppliers, grid fitters,

road construction, building construction and civil engineering,

public utilities,

installation of solar/wind systems,

work in public transport areas, railway,

transport companies and

waste disposal companies, recycling companies, logistics and production parks.

What are the relevant classes in EN 343?

Water permeation resistance or waterproofness
Water vapour transmission resistance or breathability

These two values are indicated on each garment with the help of a pictogram. The upper number on the pictogram (here "y") indicates the water transmission resistance (against water penetration from the outside):

4 = high protection
1 = low protection

The lower number (here "y") indicates the water vapour transmission resistance and thus how well the water vapour is discharged to the outside through the outer material (breathability):

4 = very good dissipation
1 = low water vapour transmission

‘R’ = Finished garment tested in the rain tower (optional). If the garment has not been tested, ‘R’ is replaced by ‘X’.

Water permeability (waterproofness):

The water permeation resistance is determined by putting the test material under water pressure. The water permeability is given in the unit Pascal (Pa).

The level of the value determines the protection class within the standard. In this context, the term "water column" is often used.

What does water column mean? The waterproofness of functional textiles is often stated in "mm water column". It measures the water pressure that a water column of a certain height exerts on materials without water penetrating it. The EN 343 standard requires a waterproofness of at least 1300 mm in class 3 and at least 2000 mm in the highest class 4.

A man wears a BP® workwear rain jacket and hammers in rainy weather.

class 1

class 2

class 3

class 4

Water penetration resistance

≥ 8000 Pa

≥ 13.000 Pa

≥ 20.000 Pa

1 Pa corresponds approximately to 0.1 mm water column. Some manufacturers of rain protective clothing significantly exceed this value and therefore often specify the water column (in addition to the class). It is not unusual, for example, for a 10,000 mm or 20,000 mm water column to be advertised. These values clearly exceed the minimum requirement of EN 343 and are an indication of maximum waterproofness.

Overall, it can therefore be said that the water column is of great importance for workwear, as it indicates the waterproofness of the material and is therefore decisive in protecting the wearer from moisture.

Water vapour transmission resistance (breathability/ret value):

First a short explanation of the "Ret-value "(Resistance to Evaporating Heat Transfer). The Ret value defines the resistance that a fabric offers to water vapour. It is therefore used as a unit of measurement for breathability. In practice, this means: the lower the Ret value, the more breathable the material.

The following applies to water vapour transmission resistance:

	class 1	class 2	class 3	class 4
Water vapour transmission resistance	Ret > 40	25 < Ret < 40	15 < Ret < 25	Ret ≤ 15

R = Finished garment tested in the rain tower (optional). If the garment has not been tested, "R" is replaced by "X".

* As these are abridged summaries of binding occupational health and safety standards, this article does not claim to fully reflect the requirements defined in the standards. Although this article is regularly revised by our experts, we cannot guarantee that the information is up-to-date and correct.