Shraga Kopstein
The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) has issued a handy checklist to help specifiers and users check whether personal protective equipment is fit for purpose.
Random sampling and analysis by BSIF of 127 PPE products from non-member companies identified only 18 (or 15 per cent) as being compliant with current UK regulations, suggesting a majority of wearers might unsuspectingly be exposed to preventable health and safety risks.
The findings around non-member products contrast with the results of tests on products supplied by BSIF Registered Safety Suppliers, whose products are tested annually as part of the scheme’s audit process. Of 387 tests completed on Registered Safety Suppliers’ products, 332 (86%) passed immediately, and of the 55 (14%) that initially did not meet the test criteria, all issues were subsequently resolved.
The new BSIF PPE checklist has been created to help specifiers and users ensure that PPE complies with the law and conforms to PPE Regulation 2016/425. It presents a series of questions to ask when purchasing PPE, which are divided into sections for ease of use: Product Markings, Required Documentation, Product Condition, and Storage.
Questions the checklist advises PPE purchasers to ask, include:
• Does the PPE have a UKCA, UKNI or CE Mark applied to it?
• Was the PPE issued with User Instructions included?
• Is there a Declaration of Conformity with the PPE
• Is the PPE clean, undamaged and suitable for use?
• Was the PPE stored correctly, according to the User Instructions?
If any questions present cause for concern, users are advised to seek support and guidance from their company’s health & safety advisor and the manufacturer of the PPE. The BSIF can also provide general guidance.
Failing to check your PPE is fit for purpose could leave you or your employees, for whom you have a duty of care, vulnerable and unprotected, and also expose your organisation to the risk of prosecution.
BSIF CEO, Alan Murray, says: “This checklist is a reminder that while anyone can sell safety, you shouldn’t buy safety from just anyone. Failing to check your PPE is fit for purpose could leave you or your employees, for whom you have a duty of care, vulnerable and unprotected, and also expose your organisation to the risk of prosecution. The easiest way to check your PPE is compliant is by only buying from a Registered Safety Supplier.”
Is-it-Genuine-2023
Visit https://bsif.co.uk.
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