Standards / Agriculture

Tractor Cab Categories

EN 15695 classifies tractor and self-propelled sprayer cabs by the protection they provide against hazardous substances, and specifies the filters fitted to them. It defines four categories, from a cab offering no protection to one protecting against dust, liquid aerosol and vapour, and it is the reason a cab can count as protective equipment during spraying.

Scope

EN 15695 applies to the cabs of agricultural tractors and self-propelled machines used where hazardous substances may be present, and to the filters fitted to those cabs. It covers the classification of cabs into categories, the performance of the filters, and the pressurisation and sealing needed for a cab to achieve its declared category.

Exclusions & Related Standards

• Respiratory protective equipment worn by the operator is covered by the respiratory standards including EN 149 and EN 136.
• Protective clothing for pesticide operators falls under EN ISO 27065.
• Roll-over protection is assessed separately under ISO 3471.
• The cab provides no protection during mixing and loading, which happens outside it.

Key Requirements & Marking

Cabs are classified into four categories: one offering no specific protection, one protecting against dust, one adding protection against liquid aerosol, and one adding protection against vapour. Achieving a category requires the correct filter type, an intact seal around doors and windows, and sufficient pressurisation to prevent unfiltered air entering. A cab loses its category the moment a window is opened or a seal fails.

Category depends on the filter type, the seals and the pressurisation, and is lost the moment a window is opened.

Testing Overview

Assessment covers the filtration efficiency of the filter against dust, aerosol and vapour as applicable to the category, leak testing of the cab envelope, measurement of the pressure maintained inside the cab relative to outside, and verification of the marking identifying the category and the filter type.

Selection Guide

Select the cab category for the substances actually being applied, and confirm that the filter fitted matches that category: a dust filter does not protect against vapour whatever the cab is capable of. Check the product label, which states the protection required, and remember that the highest category cab does not remove the need for protective equipment during mixing and loading.

Inspection, Care and Maintenance

• Replace filters at the interval stated by the manufacturer, measured in hours of use rather than seasons
• Fit the correct filter type for the category required, as a filter of the wrong type silently reduces the cab category
• Inspect door and window seals, since a damaged seal removes the pressurisation the protection depends on
• Keep doors and windows shut while working in a treated area, as an open window removes the protection entirely
• Avoid bringing contaminated gloves, clothing and equipment into the cab, which puts residue where the operator sits

A damaged seal or an open window removes the pressurisation the whole category depends on.