Chemical Protection
EN 13034
EN 13034: Protective Clothing Against Liquid Chemicals — Full Reference
What EN 13034 is
EN 13034 is the European standard covering limited-protection chemical protective clothing — garments designed for situations where a worker might be exposed to small amounts of liquid chemicals, but where a complete, molecular-level liquid barrier isn’t required. It sits at the lightest-duty end of Europe’s chemical protective clothing framework, intended specifically for light sprays, liquid aerosols, fine mists, or low-volume, low-pressure splashes rather than sustained or heavy chemical contact.
It’s formally titled “Protective clothing against liquid chemicals — Performance requirements for chemical protective clothing offering limited protective performance against liquid chemicals (Type 6 and Type PB [6] equipment).”
Where it sits in the chemical protective clothing “Type” system
European chemical protective clothing is classified into six Types, numbered by decreasing level of protection — Type 1 is the highest (gas-tight suits for the most severe hazards), Type 6 is the lowest:
| Type | Protection level | Governing standard |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Gas-tight | EN 943-1/2 |
| Type 2 | Non-gas-tight | EN 943-1 |
| Type 3 | Liquid-tight (jet-resistant) | EN 14605 |
| Type 4 | Spray-tight | EN 14605 |
| Type 5 | Protection against solid particles | EN ISO 13982 |
| Type 6 | Limited liquid splash protection | EN 13034 |
EN 13034 garments are the entry point of this system — suitable for low-risk, occasional-exposure tasks, not for continuous or high-pressure chemical exposure. If a risk assessment calls for a full liquid-tight or spray-tight barrier, EN 14605 (Type 3/4) is the correct standard instead, not EN 13034.
Type 6 vs Type PB [6]: what’s the difference?
EN 13034 covers two garment classifications:
- Type 6 — full-body chemical protective suits covering at least the trunk, arms, and legs (e.g. one-piece coveralls, two-piece suits, with or without hood or boot covers). Type 6 garments undergo an additional whole-suit spray test (a modified version of EN ISO 17491-4) that checks the complete assembled garment, including seams and closures, not just the fabric.
- Type PB [6] (“Partial Body”) — garments that protect only specific body areas, such as jackets, aprons, trousers, or sleeves. These offer the same limited fabric-level protection as Type 6, but because they don’t cover the full body, they are not put through the whole-suit spray test.
Both classifications rely on the same underlying fabric performance requirements — the difference is about body coverage and whether the assembled garment (not just the material) has been tested.
How the fabric is tested: repellency and penetration
The core of EN 13034 testing measures how a fabric responds to four reference chemicals when a small quantity of liquid is applied to an inclined sample and allowed to run off:
- Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), 30% concentration
- Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), 10% concentration
- o-Xylene
- Butan-1-ol
Two things are measured for each chemical:
- Repellency index (how much liquid beads/runs off rather than sitting on or soaking the fabric) — rated in classes, with Class 3 being the highest performance level.
- Penetration index (how much liquid passes through the fabric) — rated in classes, with Class 2 representing less than 5% penetration.
To achieve EN 13034 certification, a fabric needs to reach at least Class 3 repellency and Class 2 penetration resistance for at least one of the four test chemicals — it doesn’t need to pass all four. This is an important nuance: a garment certified to EN 13034 has demonstrated adequate performance against at least one reference chemical, not necessarily all of them, and manufacturers can (and often do) test against additional chemicals relevant to their target industry.
Mechanical performance requirements (EN 14325)
Beyond chemical resistance, EN 13034 also mandates a set of baseline mechanical properties for the fabric and seams, tested according to EN 14325 (the standard that defines test methods for chemical protective clothing materials and seams generally). For Type 6/PB[6] garments this includes:
- Abrasion resistance
- Tear resistance
- Tensile strength
- Puncture resistance
- Seam strength
(Type 6 has some relaxed requirements compared with higher Types — for example, flex-cracking resistance is not a mandatory requirement for Type 6, unlike some of the higher-protection Types.)
Marking and labelling
A compliant garment is required to carry:
- The EN 13034 standard reference
- A chemical protection pictogram (a flask/beaker symbol denoting liquid chemical resistance)
- The classification “Type 6” or “Type PB [6]”, indicating full or partial body coverage
- The performance class ratings achieved (repellency/penetration indices) for the tested chemicals
Because garments are only required to pass against one reference chemical, it’s worth checking the specific class ratings on the label or test certificate against the actual chemicals present in your workplace, rather than assuming “EN 13034 certified” alone guarantees protection against every chemical a worker might encounter.
PPE Category classification
Under the EU PPE Regulation (2016/425), garments certified to EN 13034 fall under Category III — the highest PPE risk category, reserved for equipment protecting against risks that could cause serious, irreversible harm. This means EN 13034 garments are subject to ongoing third-party conformity checks by a notified body, not just a one-off type examination.
Typical use cases
EN 13034 (Type 6 / PB[6]) garments are commonly specified for:
- Laboratory work involving occasional handling of mild chemicals
- General maintenance and cleaning tasks where incidental splash contact is possible
- Light chemical manufacturing or processing environments
- Agricultural spraying and pesticide application (light mist exposure)
- Any role where the chemical risk is assessed as low-level, intermittent, and involving small liquid volumes
What EN 13034 does NOT cover
This is the most important limitation to communicate clearly, since “chemical protective clothing” is sometimes assumed to mean full protection regardless of Type:
- It does not provide a complete barrier against liquid permeation at the molecular level.
- It is not suitable for continuous, high-volume, or high-pressure chemical exposure, or for immersion in chemicals.
- It is not interchangeable with Type 3 (liquid-tight) or Type 4 (spray-tight) protection under EN 14605 — if a task involves anything beyond light, incidental splash risk, EN 13034 is the wrong standard to specify, and EN 14605 or a higher Type should be used instead.
- Passing against one reference chemical does not guarantee protection against a different chemical not tested — always check the specific chemicals listed on the certificate against the actual substances present in the working environment.
Quick summary
| Aspect | EN 13034 detail |
|---|---|
| Protection type | Type 6 (full body) / Type PB [6] (partial body) |
| Hazard covered | Light liquid splashes, mist, aerosols, low-volume/low-pressure exposure |
| Test chemicals | 30% sulfuric acid, 10% sodium hydroxide, o-xylene, butan-1-ol |
| Pass criteria | Repellency Class 3 + Penetration Class 2 on at least one chemical |
| Related standard | EN 14325 (mechanical/material test methods) |
| Whole-garment test | Required for Type 6 only (modified EN ISO 17491-4 spray test) |
| PPE Category | Category III |
| Not suitable for | Continuous, high-pressure, or high-volume chemical exposure — use EN 14605 (Type 3/4) instead |