Testing and Certification
The Testing and Certification department operates in the field of product testing and certification. It comprises Notified Body 1024, an EU-notified entity, and a construction laboratory with national-level competence.
Notified Body 1024 began its activities in 1968 under Act No. 30/1968 Coll., on State Testing, as the State Testing Laboratory. Its mission was to test selected personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect the head, face, eyes, hearing, and respiratory system, as well as equipment protecting the body from the effects of chemicals, dust, mechanical impacts, or water, and later also temporary construction structures, such as scaffolding.
Over time, the State Testing Laboratory operated under the names State Testing Laboratory No. 235 (from 3 January 1984) and Authorized Body No. 235 (from 19 October 1999). In connection with the Czech Republic’s alignment with the European Union, AO 235 was notified to the European Community authorities on 18 June 2001 under the PECA Protocol as NB 1024, whose certificates began to be recognized in all EU member states.
As of 1 January 2004, following amendments to the PECA Protocol, AO 235 / NB 1024 was authorized to provide conformity assessment services also to manufacturers from third countries. This positioned its activities on an equal footing with other notified bodies in Europe, even before the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU.
In accordance with the full implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment, the authorization expired on 20 April 2018, and the State Testing Laboratory has since operated exclusively as Notified Body 1024.
NB 1024, which incorporates Testing Laboratory No. 1040 and Product Certification Body No. 3068, has gradually become a unique facility in the Czech Republic for testing and conformity assessment, particularly in the areas of respiratory protective devices (masks, filters, hoods, half masks), protective clothing against ionizing (X-ray) radiation, and ballistic protective equipment (clothing, helmets). Additional assessments cover hand and arm protection equipment, such as gloves designed for mechanical risks, as well as head protection, particularly industrial helmets. The scope of evaluation also includes protective clothing against heat and flame, garments providing protection against static electricity, welding apparel, and chainsaw protective clothing. Furthermore, its activities extend to the testing of protective clothing for motorcyclists and apparel intended for combat sports.