Compliance guide · Conformity marking
Since Brexit, UK-sold PPE can carry a CE mark, a UKCA mark, or both — and buyers regularly worry they've bought the wrong one. The honest news: for almost all workwear and PPE, the two marks certify conformity with what are essentially the same technical standards, and the practical checks are about documents, not logos.
The situation
PPE sold in the EU conforms to Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and carries a CE mark. After Brexit, Great Britain adopted the same regulation into domestic law with a British mark — UKCA — and its own list of designated standards, which for PPE mirror the EU's harmonised ones. In practice the certified performance of a garment is identical either way: an EN ISO 20471 hi-vis jacket is the same jacket under either mark.
What's accepted where: the UK government has repeatedly extended recognition of CE marking for most goods sold in Great Britain — including PPE — so CE-marked kit remains lawful to place on the GB market, and much stock sensibly carries both marks. Northern Ireland follows EU rules, so CE (alone or alongside UKCA) is the operative mark there. Because deadlines in this area have moved several times, treat current government guidance as the authority on dates.
For buyers
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The standard number and class on the label | EN ISO 20471 Class 2 tells you the performance; the conformity mark just says it was certified |
| The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) | Every genuine item has one naming the standards and the certifying body — suppliers should produce it on request |
| Category of the PPE | Category III items (FR, chem suits, fall arrest) require ongoing production oversight, not a one-off test |
| Both marks present? | Common and fine — it means the maker certified for both markets |
| No mark at all | Not PPE. Whatever the listing said, it's workwear-shaped clothing |
Questions
For Great Britain, yes — the government has extended recognition of CE marking for most goods including PPE, so CE-marked kit can lawfully be sold and used, and much of the market carries CE and UKCA together. Northern Ireland follows EU rules, where CE is the operative mark. Check current GOV.UK guidance for dates, which have moved several times.
No — they certify conformity with essentially the same technical standards. A garment's protection is defined by the standard and class on its label (say, EN ISO 20471 Class 3), not by which conformity logo sits next to it. Many products carry both marks to serve both markets.
A Declaration of Conformity naming the applicable standards and the notified/approved body, plus user information. For Category III PPE — FR clothing, chemical suits, fall protection — certification includes ongoing production surveillance. A supplier who can't produce the DoC is telling you something.
Whatever the risk assessment says the team needs, it's stocked, certified and priced for volume.