37th VG11 Conference – Budapest, Hungary

Budapest hosted this year's meeting of VG11, the working group of European notified bodies for personal protective equipment against falls from a height: the 37th VG11 Conference took place on 30 September – 1 October 2026 at the MagNet Community House. GÉPTESZT Kft. took on the role of host and organizer this year, sharing the costs of the event with two other Hungarian notified bodies active in fall protection, KOTE Inspection Kft. and Mádi és Társa Kft.

The event brought together representatives of 15 European certification and testing bodies specializing in fall protection, representing 10 countries. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to exchange professional experience, discuss current certification practices, and share their views on the interpretation and application of relevant standards.

The technical programme focused primarily on standards applicable to personal protective equipment against falls from a height and their practical implementation. Among others, specific requirements of EN 353, EN 358 and EN 361 were discussed in detail. During the professional discussions, several provisions were identified where further clarification, specification or, in certain cases, extension of the requirements could be beneficial.

The main objective of these discussions was to support a clearer and more consistent interpretation and application of the relevant standards and to contribute to more efficient, harmonized and, above all, safer conformity assessment and certification processes. By sharing their practical experience and technical expertise, the participating organizations contributed to a common understanding of the issues raised and to the development of potential approaches and solutions.

Following the technical sessions, the participants had the opportunity to continue their discussions in a more informal atmosphere. The social programme included a joint lunch, a sightseeing tour of Budapest and further informal activities. These occasions provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen both professional and personal relationships between the participating organizations and to further support international cooperation within the field of fall protection.

Participating Organizations

• GÉPTESZT Kft. – Hungary
• APAVE – France
• TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH – Germany
• Centro Nacional de Medios de Protección (INSST) – Spain
• FORCE Certification A/S – Denmark
• DGUV – Germany
• TÜV AUSTRIA GMBH – Austria
• VVUÚ, a.s. – Czech Republic
• Suva Certification – Switzerland
• Mádi és Társa Kft. – Hungary
• SATRA Technology Europe Ltd – Ireland
• CCQS – Ireland
• Quintin Certifications – France
• KOTE Inspection Kft. – Hungary
• Centro Consorzi – Italy

The 37th VG11 Conference was a successful and productive professional event, contributing to closer cooperation among European fall protection certification bodies and supporting the further development of common professional approaches and practices in the field.

What is VG11?

VG11 (Vertical Group 11) is the official technical working group of European Union Notified Bodies for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), specializing in protection against falls from a height and the associated standardization.

The group meets regularly to develop and update "Recommendation for Use" (RfU) sheets. These documents harmonize European certification practices for critical equipment such as energy absorbers, harnesses, lanyards, and retractable fall arresters tested for use over sharp edges (e.g., in accordance with the requirements of VG11 Sheet 60).