Benefits of partnerships with trusted suppliers

Counterfeit products in the world of health and safety have long been a concern for buyers of PPE. RS’s 2025 Health & Safety report ‘Improving the Standard’ highlighted sub-standard or counterfeit products as a worry for organisations, with 34 per cent of survey citing concern about this issue. Additionally, the BSIF completed tests on 127 non-member products that included checking standards compliance and performance, which highlighted only 15 per cent of the products being compliant.

But with fake certification making it even more difficult to distinguish between genuine and sub-standard or counterfeit products, buyers should take extra measures to ensure authentication.

Neil Griffiths, site director of RS Safety Solutions, said: “It’s worrying that organisations could be unwittingly deploying counterfeit PPE among employees, potentially putting them at risk in the workplace without adequate protection.

“The certification being provided with the goods may look convincing, but if an incident occurred where an employee came to harm from not being properly protected in their role, it could be catastrophic for the employee, and the organisation, in terms of penalties and reputation. The risks are obvious, but the fake goods and certification often aren’t. This is why buyers should be looking to forge partnerships with trusted suppliers who can demonstrate transparency in the supply chain, as well as the right ethical processes within it.”

RS provides a supply chain guarantee focused on product authenticity, quality and reliability, particularly through its RS PRO brand and authorised distributor status. RS sources directly from manufacturing partners it has thoroughly assessed and vetted to ensure their processes and quality assurance meet RS’s exacting standards. This helps protect against counterfeit products, and uses a ‘seal of approval’ for rigorous testing. 

The authenticity guarantee gives buyers peace of mind that the products on offer are sourced from an audited and inspected manufacturer network. Additionally, for RS PRO products, the quality seal guarantees products have been tested to meet demanding standards. RS adheres to high ethical, legal and environmental standards, including ISO 14021 for sustainable products and strict anti-bribery policies. 

All PPE products added into the RS PRO range are rigorously tested and assessed. Where appropriate, third party notified bodies are used to ensure compliance and conformity to UK and European PPE standards. Clear details of those standards to which the products have been tested against, are available on the RS website content and product datasheets.

RS has processes to quarantine suspected counterfeit products and works with manufacturers for product recalls. For products not stocked directly, RS engages directly with manufacturers to ensure quality standards are maintained.

Griffiths concluded: “As organisations strive to do their best to protect employees in the workplace, safeguarding against counterfeit or sub-standard PPE should be one of the main considerations. Working with suppliers and distributors who can provide transparency in the supply chain and demonstrate the right due diligence helps them in this quest.”

For more information, visit www.rs-safety.com