EN 14058 - What you need to know about cold protection.

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EN 14058

CLOTHING FOR PROTECTION IN COOL ENVIRONMENTS

Protective clothing in accordance with the EN 14058 standard plays a crucial role in the working environment, especially in cool working areas where protection against cold and other environmental influences is of paramount importance. The EN 14058 standard specifies requirements for protective clothing specifically designed for use in cool environments.

This standard not only serves to protect the wearer from the negative effects of low temperatures, but also takes into account factors such as comfort, freedom of movement and breathability. In the following, we will take a closer look at the requirements and properties of protective clothing according to EN 14058 and highlight the importance of this standard for working environments where protection in cool environments is crucial.

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Questions and answers about EN 14058*

What does the EN 14058 standard mean?

The EN 14058 standard specifies the requirements for protective clothing to protect the body against cool environments. Cool environment is defined in the standard as a possible combination of humidity and wind at temperatures of -5 °C and above.

Protective clothing within the scope of this standard includes trousers, jackets, waistcoats, coats and also removable thermal linings. It does not include footwear, gloves or separate headgear. In addition, cold protection clothing systems are excluded from this standard.

What test methods are there in EN 14058?

The standard defines, among other things, the determination of the thermal resistance. The lower the thermal resistance Rct value, the easier it is for the heat produced by humans to penetrate through the clothing to the outside.

Air permeability (AP)

There are 3 possible classes:

Class 1 materials are suitable for low air velocities of less than 1 m/s, such as those found in cool indoor environments.

Class 2 materials are suitable for air velocities of less than 5m/s.

Class 3 materials are for high air speeds ≥ 5m/s, such as outdoor activities.

A man wears Multinorm protective clothing in orange and black. A wind turbine can be seen in the background.

How is cold protection labelled on the clothing/pictogram?

"y1" corresponds to the class of thermal resistance Rct (m² K/W). The higher the class, the better the insulation:

Thermal resistance	Rct (m² K/W)
class 1	0,06 ≤ Rct < 0,12
class 2	0,12 ≤ Rct < 0,18
class 3	0,18 ≤ Rct < 0,25
class 4	0,25 ≤ Rct

"y2" corresponds to the air permeability class, AP (mm/s). The higher the class, the better the air density and insulation:

Air permeability AP

	(mm/s)
class 1	100 < AP
class 2	5 < AP ≤ 100
class 3	AP ≤ 5

"y3" corresponds to the basic thermal insulation Icler (optional for class 1-3).

"WP" corresponds to the water transmission resistance (optional). If not tested, the letters "y" and "WP" are replaced by "x".

What are the areas of application of the EN 14058 standard?

Protective clothing in accordance with EN 14058 is always used when working in cool, draughty environments and outdoors. This can be in various industries such as construction (road construction, building construction, civil engineering), trade, waste management, transport companies, railways, logistics, energy supply, agriculture and others.

A woman wears Multinorm protective clothing. A wind turbine and solar panels can be seen in the background.

How does EN 14058 differ from EN 342?

The EN 14058 standard defines protective clothing designed for moderate cold, typically in environments above –5 °C. It is mainly used for tasks where only short-term or light cold protection is needed – such as in warehouses, for delivery services, or during outdoor work in transitional seasons. This clothing is usually lightweight, breathable, and comfortable to wear.

In contrast, the EN 342 standard regulates protection against extreme cold, such as in cold storage facilities, deep-freeze logistics, or winter construction sites. This clothing offers significantly higher thermal insulation and provides reliable protection in temperatures well below –5 °C. It is often worn in multilayer systems and is designed for extended exposure to cold environments. While EN 14058 is suitable for short-term exposure to mild cold, EN 342 is intended for professional use in continuous and extreme cold conditions.

* As these are abbreviated summaries of legally binding occupational safety standards, this content does not claim to fully represent all requirements defined in the standards. Although this article is regularly reviewed by our experts, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information provided.