Ensuring safe advice throughout the supply chain

The BSIF has become aware of issues regarding the difficulties in accessing suitable
safety equipment and receiving relevant advice within deep supply chains.

It is thought British industry spends in excess of £1 billion a
year on personal protective equipment (PPE). Yet poor
selection and misuse means that much of this investment is
wasted and can have serious consequences in terms of
workplace health and safety.

Following the implementation of the Health and Safety at Work
Act, every employer knows they have a duty of care toward
employees and the provision of appropriate safety and personal
protective equipment (PPE) has increasingly become a top
priority for senior managers, directors and health & safety
officers. This is often addressed through a risk assessment. In the
case of larger companies this will be mostly carried out by a
designated health and safety officer and lead to the specification
of products to protect employees from highlighted risks. These
products are often sourced directly from a manufacturer or
through a distributor who will carry out a review of the hazard
and ensure the specification of appropriate products. But it
would be wrong to assume this is what happens in all cases.

Within smaller organisations there is often a lack of specific
knowledge of PPE and risk assessments are carried out by
personnel who are not expert. When employers are seeking
assistance with minimising risks, there is a lack of awareness
regarding the availability and sources of helpful information,
especially in smaller companies or in sectors where significant use
is made of contracted and self-employed labour i.e. construction,
agriculture, hair and beauty, and so on. Similarly the availability
of web-sites is not of use to small contractors, self-employed
labour and contracted groups such as crop pickers, casual
labourers, etc. as access to the internet is not always accessible.

Therefore in these situations there is a reliance on the supply
side to assist with the selection of safety products with over 64%
of these smaller companies seeking advice straight from their
supplier. By working with a member of the BSIF, purchasers can
be assured that they are using a reputable supplier who is
committed to issuing genuine and suitable products and offering
trustworthy advice. These can be easily identified through the
BSIF’s Registered Safety Supplier shield.

Neil Jowsey, sales and marketing director, Arco, comments:
“As a nationwide distributor and a BSIF Registered Safety
Supplier, it is important for us to keep close to the public and be
on hand to offer our customers advice. Through our network of
trade counters across the UK, customers can visit their local
branch for immediate expert advice and guidance on product
selection, fit and compliance. Each branch carries a core range
of 3,000 essential safety products ensuring there will be
something to suit everyone from occasional use as part of a
hobby, through to everyday use.”
It must be accepted that people will go to a variety of sources
to find the equipment they need and may not always use a
specialist supplier. Retailers play a big part in the safety supply
chain and are an ideal solution for smaller businesses,
professional trade’s people, craftsmen and DIYers, whose use of
safety equipment may be moderate. It is thought that almost a
quarter of customers using B&Q are doing so to purchase
equipment for use at work e.g. smaller companies or the worker
carrying out a job occasionally. This can be an issue for the wide
range of PPE and safety products on offer including coveralls,
safety gloves and hearing protection. Although the worker may
know what type of product they need e.g. a respirator for crop
spraying, they may not be sure of the exact product specification
required and although the product may contain the relevant
industry information, this may not be easily understood.

It is essential for manufacturers and distributors to be aware
of the different sales outlets their products are destined for and
understand the needs of the different audiences. This will then
ensure better point of sale materials are produced alongside easy
to understand user material providing clear guidance without
commonly used jargon. The BSIF sees it as part of its role to
educate its members to ensure that this clear and accurate
information is passed through to the marketplace through their
customers and retailers and therefore onto the end user.

Bernard Garvey, technical director, BM Polyco comments:
“There is definitely the potential for issues with products in long
supply chains. However invariably the customer, in this case the
retailer, will ask the supplier to carry out the origination of the
product and supply shelf ready packaging. By working closely
with the retailer we can ensure that the product and packaging is
as required and carries the correct information or warnings.

There may be some problems though for retailers who target a
mix of customers e.g. Builders merchants, as there is often some
cross over between the DIYer and the trade customer who may
require more product information and a higher level of guidance
to select the correct product.”
The BSIF wants to engage with everyone at all levels with
responsibility either for themselves or employees across the
different sectors to ensure that everyone can access clear and easy
to understand information and would like to encourage
potential purchasers to ensure they have sought the correct
advice and information before purchasing safety equipment. See:
www.bsif.co.uk for more
information.