Survey says 85% of non-BSIF registered PPE fails to meet criteria
6 Mar 2023
The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) is urging businesses to use only suppliers registered on its safety supplier scheme when procuring PPE and safety equipment after new findings revealed 85% of products from non-members failed to meet its regulatory criteria.
The BSIF points out that Registered Safety Supplier products are tested annually as part of the scheme’s audit process; if products fail to meet test criteria, the issues must be rectified immediately in order for the supplier to remain on the scheme.
It adds that, of 387 tests completed on Registered Safety Supplier’s products last year, 86% passed immediately, with all issues since resolved for the 14% that did not meet the test criteria initially. In contrast, of some 127 non-member products tested by the BSIF revealed just 15% were fully compliant with standards and performed as advertised.
Safety footwear specialist, Simon Ash of HAIX, one of the BSIF Registered Safety Suppliers, commented: "Without doubt, the most important factors in choosing PPE have to be quality and compliance. So, the first questions that employers should ask are – what are the risks the workforce are facing at work, does the PPE fully comply with the standards to meet those risks and is it going to keep employees safe?"
“The Registered Safety Supplier Scheme is designed to help rid the market of non-compliant PPE, giving health and safety managers, PPE buyers and employers generally, the reassurance that they are sourcing from a reputable supplier and have confidence that their workforce is properly protected."
Employers can ask for an overview of a supplier’s quality assurance process including how they test their samples to ensure safety compliance, added Ash.
Products should also be checked for CE marking too, he advised. This indicated products had been assessed against recognised standards or other appropriate specifications by an independent third party also assessed for competence.
Pic: High quality PPE is essential for worker protection, advise experts
