The Swedish Work Environment Authority has implemented the most comprehensive regulatory renewal in decades. A completely new regulatory structure came into force on January 1, 2025.
The aim is to simplify and digitize the regulations, but the levels of protection for workwear will remain where they have been.
The Swedish Work Environment Authority decided on the new structure on September 15, 2023, following a thorough evaluation of the old system.
Previously, there were 67 separate regulatory booklets in different areas. Now, these have been boiled down to 15 more comprehensive regulations.
This affects the standards for workwear by bringing together related provisions under common headings. Basic rules, other rules and product rules are the three main categories of the new structure.
CE marking and EN standards for protective clothing still apply. The main difference is really how companies find their way around the regulations and what applies to their particular business.
The goal is to make it easier to use the Swedish Work Environment Authority's rules for workwear and protective equipment. Companies should be able to find the right standards faster - that sounds quite reasonable.
Expected improvements include:
Regulations are now structured so that companies in the same industry can find relevant requirements in fewer places. This is particularly helpful for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which previously found it difficult to navigate the rather complex regulatory system.
The new regulatory structure is also built to work better digitally. The Swedish Work Environment Authority's digital platforms have been updated with new search functions and a more user-friendly interface.
Digital improvements include:
Companies can now access current workwear standards through a more intuitive digital experience. The regulatory framework is set up for both quick searches and deep dives into specific requirements depending on the work environment and protective clothing.
From January 2025, a new regulatory structure applies, with the regulations reduced from 67 to 15. They are divided into basic rules, other rules and product rules.
Systematic work environment management according to AFS 2023:1 will now be at the heart of employers' responsibility to provide suitable workwear and personal protective equipment.
The basic rules are the backbone of the new structure. They cover both systematic health and safety management and basic requirements for workplaces.
Employers must by law ensure that workers are provided with workwear suitable for the environment they work in.
Key principles include:
Workwear should be suitable for different occupational groups in the public sector - crafts and service workers, health and social care, early childhood education and training. The protection levels are unchanged compared to before.
AFS 2023:1 states that systematic work environment management is the basis for all work environment management. Employers need to integrate both the selection and management of workwear into their procedures through structured processes.
Systematic work environment management includes:
Employers should document their decisions on workwear and ensure that workers receive the necessary training. The focus is on prevention - better to choose the right clothing at the planning stage than to have to correct it afterwards.
A new regulation on design and coordination of health and safety at work on construction sites will apply from 2025. It aims to prevent risks as early as possible in the construction process.
Developers now have a greater responsibility to ensure that workwear is planned for already during the design phase. Designers must take into account health and safety requirements and the need for specific protective clothing when designing and specifying.
The role ofconstruction health and safety coordinators is strengthened:
This means that workwear and protective equipment are now seen as an integral part of construction planning. Not something to be solved at the last minute.
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Product regulations in the field of occupational health and safety set basic safety requirements for workwear. They also govern how companies and other actors should ensure compliance with the rules.
Technical labels and certifications will be crucial to demonstrate that protective clothing truly meets industry safety standards.
Product regulations determine how workwear is designed and sold on the market. The new AFS regulations state that manufacturers, importers and distributors must ensure that workwear meets essential health and safety requirements.
Responsibility of economic operators:
The regulatory structure requires workwear to be designed according to technical standards. This affects the choice of materials, sewing and the functions of the protective clothing - depending on the occupational category.
The product rules also require testing and approval before workwear can be sold. Type checks and test methods will be mandatory to ensure that clothing actually performs as promised during normal use.
Workwear must now be truly adapted to the risks of different working environments. It is the risk assessment that determines the technical requirements for each occupation.
Industry-specific requirements include:
Choosing protective clothing is now about using documented risk assessments. Regulations require that clothing protects against the hazards that are actually present, but should not be so stiff or heavy that it hinders work.
This may sound obvious, but the same type of workplace may need completely different clothing specifications depending on local risks. Therefore, technical solutions need to be flexible enough to meet the changing needs even within the same job role.
CE marking is now a must for all workwear that qualifies as personal protective equipment. The mark shows that the product complies with European standards and has been properly tested.
Labeling requirements usually include:
EN standards specify how workwear should be tested and what requirements it should meet. EN 13795 applies to surgical clothing, while the EN ISO series covers industrial protective clothing.
To be certified, a third-party audit is required. Notified bodies check both the products and the way they are manufactured, to ensure that everything continues to comply with the AFS rules.
Clear roles are needed to ensure that workwear and protective equipment are used properly. The employer has the main responsibility, but managers and workers also have their parts to play.
Employers have overall responsibility for ensuring that everyone is provided with the right workwear and protective equipment, which must also meet standards. This applies to both purchasing and actually keeping things in good condition.
Systematic work environment management means that the employer must have procedures for the selection, use and control of workwear. This planning should of course include risk assessments showing what protective clothing is required for different jobs.
The employer must ensure that
Documentation of purchases, training and checks is an important part of health and safety management. Employers must also work with safety representatives and staff representatives on the choice of protective equipment.
Managers and supervisors are the link between employers and workers in day-to-day health and safety management. They must ensure that the employer's directives on workwear and protective equipment are effectively enforced.
Supervisors must ensure that staff wear the right clothes in the right way. This means checking that protective equipment is being worn as instructed and reporting any faults.
Specific tasks for managers:
Managers also need to keep up to date with standards and new regulations. They should be able to support staff on the use and care of workwear.
Workers have a duty to use the protective clothing and equipment provided by their employer. This is both a legal and practical matter - otherwise the working environment will suffer.
The main obligations of the worker:
Participating in health and safety management also means speaking up if protection is not enough, or if new risks emerge. It's not always easy to know, but it's better to say too much than too little.
Self-care of protective equipment is also important - cleaning and storage must be taken care of. You must not start repairing or modifying the protective equipment yourself, but instead report the need for service or replacement.
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The Swedish Work Environment Authority has developed support to make the transition to the new regulatory structure a little smoother. The paragraph key helps to find between old and new regulations, which is quite nice when you sit with old routines and policies.
The Swedish Work Environment Authority offers lots of guidance via digital tools and information material. There are guides on how companies can adapt their work environment strategies to the new rules.
Available support can be:
Occupational health services and occupational health and safety consultants can also help when guidelines are being introduced in the workplace. They can identify what needs to be adapted in your workplace.
The new structure pushes hard for preventive work environment management. It's about addressing risks before they become problems, and allocating responsibilities more clearly.
The Swedish Work Environment Authority's paragraph key is a tool for finding your way between old and new rules. It shows where the old paragraphs have ended up in the new structure.
The paragraph key sorts information according to the new headings: basic rules, other rules and product rules. You can search by old paragraph numbers or areas to find the right one.
Here's how you can use it:
This makes it easier for organizations to update their policies and procedures. Continuity of compliance will be much easier to keep track of during the transition.
Organizations need to systematically review their health and safety procedures to match the new regulatory structure. This means comparing existing documentation against the new requirements.
Priority areas to update:
Documentation should be rewritten using the simpler language of the new rules. This will make them easier for everyone to understand and follow - and that is the point.
Businesses with specific risks covered by other rules need to be extra careful. They need to find out what additional requirements apply on top of the basic obligations.
The new 2025 occupational health and safety rules have raised many questions about how the workwear standards affect different sectors and employers' responsibilities. The changes are very much about clarifying the structure and maintaining the high level of protection required for personal protective equipment.
The new regulatory structure of the Swedish Work Environment Authority, which came into force on January 1, 2025, has slimmed down the previous 67 work environment regulations to just 15 major regulations. The aim? To make the rules more transparent and actually useful in everyday life.
The levels of protection for workwear are largely unchanged. The focus is more on clarifying and simplifying than adding new requirements.
PPE still has to comply with the same safety standards as before, including EN ISO standards. EN ISO 20471 still applies to high-visibility clothing and ensures that people are visible, whether it is dark or light in the workplace.
Standards for flame retardancy and chemical resistance remain important where needed. CE marking and compliance with European safety requirements remain a must.
The construction industry is affected by the new regulations through more adapted health and safety rules. Craft and service professions in the public sector are also affected by updated requirements for work and protective clothing.
Industries with higher safety risks will need to review their procedures according to the new guidelines. The transport and logistics sector will continue to require high-visibility clothing and other protective equipment.
Employers will need to double-check that workwear meets the correct EN standards and that the CE marking is in place. Documentation of safety certifications takes on greater importance now.
Risk assessment in the workplace determines which protective features are really required. General recommendations are not enough - workwear must match the actual risks.
Employers need to refresh their health and safety practices according to the new regulations. It is wise to ensure that staff and safety representatives receive training on what has actually changed.
Old workwear policies need to be compared with the new rules. Documentation on risk assessments and choice of protective equipment needs to keep up with the new structure too.
The new regulatory structure still places the greatest emphasis on safety and functionality, rather than specifying the exact materials to be used.
Sustainability will thus have to coexist with protection and certification requirements.
Material choices are primarily driven by the risks in the workplace and the requirements of EN standards.
However, employers have some freedom to choose more sustainable alternatives, as long as the necessary safety requirements are met.
The information on this page is intended as general guidance only and does not replace manufacturer instructions or applicable regulations. Workwise does not guarantee that the content is accurate, complete, or current and is not liable for decisions or actions taken based on this information. Always follow current standards and manufacturer instructions.
