Firm demands stricter protective equipment checks
21 Aug 2018
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Safety company Arco is calling for government and industry regulators to increase pressure on suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure products are fit for purpose.
Chris Pyle, product and procurement manager at the firm, said:
"Recent findings have indicated that despite PPE having the required EC type approval and CE mark, some products that employers would rightly assume to be safe, may not actually be fit for purpose.”
Following an earlier survey to identify non-compliant products in the workplace, Arco carried out further research into leather gloves used in safety work.
Based on the requirements of EN420:2003 and REACH regulations, it identified illegal levels of carcinogenic chemicals, including Azo dye and Chromium VI, in some products.
Arco raised the matter with both the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and Trading Standards, prompting port of enetry checks for non-compliant imports.
However, Arco warned that leather gloves in the marketplace, revealed illegal levels of Azo dye and Chromium VI that exceed the limits set by the relevant standard.
Pyle cautioned that anyone with concerns about product reliability should request proof of PPE certification, quality assurance and regular sample testing and use suppliers registered with the BSIF safety supplier scheme and trusted sources.
