Overview
EN ISO 20320:2020 - "Protective clothing for use in Snowboarding - Wrist Protectors - Requirements and test methods" is a CEN-adopted ISO standard that defines requirements and laboratory test methods for wrist protectors intended for snowboard users. The standard covers ergonomics, innocuousness (safety of materials), sizing/comfort, restraint (secure fit), the ability to limit wrist extension, and the capacity to attenuate impact forces on the palm, plus marking and manufacturer instructions. It explicitly excludes protectors for roller sports, alpine skiing and other sports, and does not address forearm protection from axial finger/fist impacts or palmar flexion from dorsal impacts.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope & exclusions: Applies only to wrist protectors for snowboarding; lists specific protection limitations.
- Ergonomics and fit: Design considerations to ensure user comfort, freedom of movement and correct siting of protective elements.
- Innocuousness (material safety): Requirements for constituent materials and surface conditions in contact with the wearer.
- Restraint and sizing: Criteria to ensure protectors remain in position during falls/impacts.
- Impact strength & performance: Test methods and apparatus for measuring splint strength, impact attenuation on the palm, and related performance under specified conditioning.
- Limitation of wrist extension: Test procedures to verify how effectively a protector prevents hyperextension of the wrist.
- Marking and information: Mandatory labelling and manufacturer-supplied instructions, including sizing guidance and intended use.
- Testing framework: Sampling, conditioning (room and cold), and detailed test-reporting requirements.
Applications and who uses this standard
EN ISO 20320:2020 is used by:
- Wrist protector manufacturers and designers - to design products that meet recognized safety, comfort and performance benchmarks.
- Test laboratories and certification bodies - to perform standardized impact, restraint and ergonomic testing for product certification.
- Procurement and retail - to specify compliant wrist protectors for schools, rental fleets and sporting goods stores.
- Regulators and conformity assessors - to demonstrate presumption of conformity with EU Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment (where cited).
- Safety managers and instructors - to choose appropriate wrist protection for snowboarders (especially beginners and children, who have higher wrist-injury incidence).
Related standards and regulations
- Links to EU requirements: EN ISO 20320 supports essential requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 for PPE (see Annex ZA).
- Developed under ISO/TC 94 and in collaboration with CEN/TC 162 - consult national standards bodies for localized adoption and national implementation details.
Keywords: EN ISO 20320:2020, wrist protectors, snowboarding wrist protection, impact test methods, PPE standard, ergonomics, limitation of wrist extension, Regulation (EU) 2016/425.