EN 342:2017 – Clothing to protect against cold

The EN 342:2017 standard simply explained

This European Standard specifies the performance requirements and test methods for garment systems (i.e. two-piece suits or one-piece suits) to prevent the effects of cold environments with temperatures below or equal to -5 °C. These effects include not only low temperatures, but also humidity and wind speed.

Requirements for and test methods of clothing for protection against cold environments are specified in EN 14058.

The protective functions and requirements of footwear, gloves and separate headgear are not within the scope of this standard.

Icler, AP and WP values

EN 342:2017 standard is determined by three parameters, the third of which is optional:

   1. resultant basic thermal insulation, Icler

   2. air permeability, AP

   3. water permeability, WP (optional)

What do these values mean?
Resulting basic thermal insulation Icler

Icler indicates the value of thermal insulation in square meters of Kelvin per watt measured or calculated between the surface of bare skin and the outer clothing surface.

The resulting basic thermal insulation shall be measured with a moving manikin calibrated in accordance with Annex D. The test method shall be in accordance with EN ISO 15831:2004 and calculations shall be performed in accordance with the parallel calculation model in EN ISO 15831:2004. The resulting basic thermal insulation of a protective clothing system shall be measured with reference undergarment C as specified by the manufacturer. If the manufacturer does not specify any undergarment, reference undergarment B according to the standard must be used. Garments must be tested with reference garment system R. When testing with undergarment B or with a garment, the manikin must not be dressed with any headgear, gloves or boots not attached to the garment that deviate from the standardized items.

Minimum value of 0.265 m2K/W
Supply areas of the EN 342:2017 standard at 0.4 m/s:

Supply areas of the standard EN 342:2017 at 3 m/s:

AP indicates the class corresponding to the velocity of an air stream passing through a test sample under specified test conditions.  

The air permeability shall be measured from the outside to the inside according to EN ISO 9237:1995 and given as the arithmetic mean of 10 test samples. The mean value must be used for the classification of the garment. The measurements must be carried out at a pressure difference of 100 Pa and with a test area of 20 cm2.

If the multi-layer material cannot be tested in one piece, e.g. because of thick test pieces with several layers, it is necessary to separate the individual components and measure the component with the lowest value.

WP indicates the class corresponding to the hydrostatic pressure that a material can resist against the passage of water.

5 test samples of the waterproof layer of the garment shall be tested in accordance with EN 20811:1992 with an increasing water pressure of (980 ± 50) Pa/min.

The result of this test is the lowest single value in Pa at which the first drop of water penetrates the material.

If an X is shown as the value for this parameter, it means that the garment has not been tested for this parameter. Often the third parameter is not tested because it is optional.

Notes for the user

The choice of Freezer clothing  depends on the ambient temperature at the workplace, the duration of exposure to the cold and the degree of physical exertion.

Protective clothing must be tried on to determine if it fits properly. Protective clothing must be closed when worn. Arm and leg lengths must be appropriate. The wearer must be able to make all the physical movements required for their job without significant restrictions. Clothing that is too tight or too loose can also have a negative effect on thermal insulation - too little air circulates in clothing that is too tight, while too much cold air penetrates between layers of clothing that are too loose.

Garments must also be inspected before each use to identify damage that may affect the effectiveness of their protective properties. Damaged protective clothing must be replaced immediately. Clothing with tears, holes or defective fastening systems should not be worn. Many washing machine cycles and/or improper storage can lead to a reduction in the volume of the insulating layer and thus also reduce the insulating effect.

Our freezer clothing according to DIN EN 342

FTJ28-HV,  FTJ28,  FTH28,  FTSH28,  FTO28-65,  FTJ25, FTB25,  FTH25,  SHFTJ100,  SHFTH100,  X28J,  X28T,  X28S,  S29J,  S29S,  X33J,  X33S,  X12T