Seton welcomes new regulations to tackle fake PPE
A recent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) survey* confirmed that ensuring PPE is in good, serviceable condition is a top priority in health and safety organisations. The survey also identified key PPE problems, including substandard PPE equipment being used by some contractors. Due to the potentially fatal consequences of inferior products, the quality of PPE is high on the agenda. As a result, Seton fully supports plans for revisions to the current European PPE Directive to tackle the growing problem of “fake” PPE.
Seton conducted a study to gain a deeper understanding of PPE from a customer perspective. Ensuring PPE is in good, serviceable condition was ranked the second most important factor in PPE management due to the impact on employee safety. In addition, a key PPE problem identified by 39% of respondents is that contractors are not necessarily aiming for the same safety standards as the organisation. If contractors provide their own PPE and this is substandard, the consequences could be extremely serious for both the contractor and the employer. It is clear that using high quality CE approved PPE in the correct manner is a matter of life and death.
Despite this, The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF)** report that fake and illegal products being manufactured and sold within the PPE industry is an increasingly common problem. Many products manufactured using substandard materials have entered the market place, from gloves to high visibility vests.
To tackle this growing problem, revisions to the current European PPE Directive (89/686/EC) have been proposed. The new legislation would make retailers and distributors responsible for ensuring products they sell meet the required safety standards, rather than the responsibility falling solely on the manufacturer. It is hoped that this will help tackle the issue of inferior quality, counterfeit PPE in UK workplaces and protect the lives of employees.
*PPE Survey (2013) conducted by Seton UK with 106 respondents were from Construction, Education, Manufacturing and Facilities Management sectors.
For high quality CE approved PPE, please visit: www.seton.co.uk/workwear-ppe
