Since 2012, the FIA has gradually introduced a labelling system for all FIA-approved safety products based on holograms and which allows the FIA to:
- fight counterfeit products.
- identify valid products.
- increase quality control.
- increase traceability.
In the case of the protective clothing approved according to FIA Standard 8856-2000, manufacturers have been producing FIA-approved overalls with this labelling system since 2013, and undergarments, gloves, balaclavas, and shoes since 2016.
However, overalls approved according to FIA Standard 8856-2000 that were produced before 01.01.2013 and undergarments, gloves, balaclavas produced before 01.01.2016, and hence not displaying the characteristic FIA hologram, are still accepted where FIA Standard 8856-2000 is accepted.
This fact has not only created confusion among users and scrutineers but has also reduced the effectiveness of the detection of counterfeit products as these products use the old labelling system without hologram.
For this reason, the FIA has decided to limit the validity of clothing without a hologram by the following dates:
- OVERALLS with the old labelling (without an FIA hologram) will not be accepted after 31.12.2022.
- UNDERGARMENTS, GLOVES, BALACLAVAS, and SHOES with the old labelling (without an FIA hologram) will not be accepted after 31.12.2023.
- This limitation will not apply to socks as labelling for socks has not changed.
The FIA Technical List 27 has been updated to reflect this decision.
|