SEC 05 // COMPLIANCE HUBS · 10 JURISDICTIONS
Compliance hubs
Compliance information for PAPR buyers and responsible persons: how each jurisdiction treats welding-fume controls, approved respirators, fit testing, and employer duties. This is information, not legal advice; verify against the cited primary sources before buying, specifying, or using RPE at work.
Core markets
- UK United Kingdom: Welding PAPR Rules, Standards and HSE Guidance2026-07-06
In the UK, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) for welding sit under the COSHH Regulations 2002, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- US United States: Welding PAPR compliance — OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134, NIOSH 42 CFR 84 and the hexavalent chromium rules2026-07-06
In the United States, respirator use at work is governed by OSHA's Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134), which requires employers to run a written programme.
- AU Australia: PAPR rules for welding — AS/NZS 1716, the 1 mg/m³ welding-fume limit, and the 2030 move to ISO standards2026-07-06
Australia regulates welding PAPR through work health and safety (WHS) laws enforced by state and territory regulators, with equipment built to AS/NZS 1716:2012.
- CA Canada: Respiratory Protection Rules for Welding PAPR (CSA Z94.4, Provincial OHS, and NIOSH/CSA Reliance)2026-07-06
In Canada, respiratory protection is governed by provincial/territorial occupational health and safety (OHS) law, not a single federal rule.
- EU Welding PAPR in the EU: PPE Regulation, EN 12941/12942 and the carcinogens rules on welding fume2026-07-06
The EU governs welding powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) through two separate legal pillars. On the product side, Regulation (EU) 2016/425 treats respiratory protective equipment as Category III PPE.
EU national
- DE Germany: PAPR Rules for Welding — ArbSchG, TRGS 528, DGUV Regel 112-190 and TH Classes2026-07-06
Germany regulates welding-fume respiratory protection through a dual system: state law (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, Gefahrstoffverordnung, concretised by TRGS 528 for welding work).
- FR France: PAPR Rules for Welders — Code du travail, INRS ED 6106 and Welding-Fume Requirements2026-07-06
In France, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) used in welding sit at the intersection of the EU PPE Regulation 2016/425 (CE certification, Category III).
- IT Italy: PAPR for welding — D.Lgs 81/2008, CE marking under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, and the UNI standards framework2026-07-06
In Italy, powered air-purifying respirators (elettrorespiratori) used in welding sit under D.Lgs 81/2008 (the Testo Unico) — Titolo III.
- PL Poland: PAPR rules for welding — Kodeks pracy, NDS limits and CIOP-PIB guidance2026-07-06
In Poland, respiratory protection for welders sits on three legal layers: the Labour Code (Kodeks pracy) and the 1997 general OSH regulation.
- SE Sweden: PAPR and Welding-Fume Rules under the AFS 2023 Recodification2026-07-06
Sweden rebuilt its entire occupational safety rulebook on 1 January 2025: 15 consolidated AFS regulation books replaced roughly 68 older provisions.