Campaign to eliminate counterfeit PPE
April 22nd 2008 The frequency of reports identifying non-compliant Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the fraudulent use of CE documentation in respect of PPE has increased significantly over the past twelve months. At the same time, the volumes of imported products have increased and the number of reports relating to PPE products which are copying patented designs, being passed-off and deliberately miss-representing their manufacturing origins have increased substantially. In many instances, PPE in the market is both non-compliant and is flagrantly plagiarising the designs and imagery of the original manufacturers.
While the BSIF is keen to assist its members protect their intellectual property interests, the Federation's membership as a whole is keen to adopt a collective public service duty to seek to minimise the number of accidents/incidents which result from the selection, purchase, deployment and use of potentially "unsafe" and non-compliant PPE.
Specific market statistics do not exist. However, an analysis of RIDDOR reports over the ten years to 2001 indicates that approximately one third of accidents per year mentioning PPE are the result of miss-selection and missuse and this equates to approximately 11,000 incidents/accidents per year that could be avoided. The BSIF suspects that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Over the next few months, the BSIF is to mount a campaign with the dual objectives of increasing awareness of the problem and providing employers and workers with a central information source to assist identification of these "rogue" products. The Federation is already combining with the organisers of the Safety & Health Expo to prevent counterfeit and non-compliant PPE being exhibited at the exhibition. At the same time, the BSIF is to introduce a series of programmes to take these products out of the market by using the successfully deployed anti-counterfeiting methods initiated by the cosmetics and electrical industries If any reader has doubts about the PPE they are using or about to purchase, a call to the BSIF Info-Desk might prove to be helpful. More articles from British Safety Industry Federation: | 
