PPE Regulation advice

The new PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 brings about the most significant changes to the rules on PPE, since the introduction of the first Directive over 20 years ago. 

The changes are designed to ensure ongoing product safety and assurance and to better reflect the needs of those buying and using PPE to keep them safe at work. 

From 21st April 2018, the transition requirements of the new Regulation came into force and all those responsible for the purchase of PPE, need to ensure that their suppliers are able to meet the new Regulation requirements.  Arco has published an up to date summary of the Regulation, available free on the company’s website, which will help purchasers understand what the requirements mean for them.  The document includes key dates, a summary of the changes, advice on working with a trusted supplier and guidance on how to check that any PPE complies with the new regulation.

The rules of the new Regulation apply to the whole supply chain, not just manufacturers and clearly define that an importer or distributor who markets PPE products in Europe under their own name, brand or trademark, becomes liable for the full manufacturer’s obligations.  As the industry leader, Arco has  a well-established 5-step product assurance process and has also published all declarations of conformity at https://conformity.arco.co.uk/.

Neil Hewitt, Arco’s Divisional Director of Quality and Technical Standards, said: ”The new PPE Regulation puts the obligation on everyone involved in the manufacture, supply and distribution of PPE, including Arco, to ensure their products meet with the required standards, that they keep technical files and records and that they carry out sample testing on their PPE where appropriate.  With the investment we’ve made in product assurance and our own laboratory, we are well placed to meet the new obligations and to assure customers that they are buying from a reliable, fully compliant supplier.  The new regulations have introduced significant changes for both suppliers and buyers and we’ve put together some useful resources that are free to download from our website, to help customers navigate the new rules and we urge them to make sure they keep their people safe by working with a trusted supplier.

For more information, please go to the dedicated section on the Arco website for more information: www.arco.co.uk/regulation