Laboratories with mask testing capabilities

The "Where can I test my mask" flyer provides you with information about laboratories in Europe that have the capabilities to test certain types of masks against EN standards. It is important to keep the following in mind:

• The EN 149 standard requires different test equipment than the EN 14683 standard
• The capabilities of labs are indicated in the table
• Some labs have the capabilities but are not accredited to certify, these labs can be of great value for research work.
• More information about accredited laboratories for masks (both medical and protective) van be found on https://european-accreditation.org/coronavirus-outbreak-accredited-laboratories-for-face-masks-testing/

CEN and CENELEC make European Standards available to help prevent the COVID-19 contagion  

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, and CENELEC, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, agreed, in collaboration with all their Members and after the urgent request from the European Commission, to make freely available a series of European standards (ENs) for medical devices and personal protective equipment used in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This exceptional decision is motivated by the need to tackle the severe shortage of protective masks and medical equipment experienced all around Europe due to the exponential growth of the COVID-19 emergency. The standards will enable a quicker and smoother access to market of new fundamental medical and protection equipment.

Providing free access to the national adoptions of this set of European standards facilitates the work of the many companies within the European Economic Area which are reconverting their production lines to deliver tangible results quickly and ensure that healthcare professionals and patients have access to the equipment they urgently need.

The 11 standards developed by CEN and potentially 3 additional ones developed jointly with ISO made available cover common filtering masks, medical gloves and protective clothing. They are the fruit of a collective European effort. These European standards were developed and adopted by different Technical Bodies, taking into account the contributions of hundreds of experts and stakeholders in the personal protective equipment and medical field all around Europe.

The standards are available for free download from the websites of CEN national members.