Check Your PPE!

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is designed to help provide protection against hazards in the workplace; however, it can only provide that protection if it is adequate for the hazard, suitable for the wearer, used correctly and stored and maintained in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. 

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. 

So how do you ensure that your PPE is fit for purpose? The following check list may go some way to helping you and your business make sure that your PPE complies with the law and conforms to the PPE Regulation, 2016/425.  

How can you take the risk out of specifying PPE?

The BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme is in place to help those specifying, sourcing and using PPE and Safety Equipment to reduce the risks involved in purchasing these products. BSIF Registered Safety Suppliers commit to trading ethically and only providing, conforming and fit for purpose products into the Market. We encourage all those charged with specifying PPE to;

Check that the supplier is a BSIF Registered Safety Supplier

Select the correct PPE, using the guidance provided by their qualified staff

Protect your most valuable asset – your people

To answer any of your concerns over genuine, compliant PPE and the identification factors and documentation please download BSIF’s ‘Is it genuine’ document by using the QR Code.

BSIF PPE Checklist

If you have answered ‘No’ to any of the questions or are unsure as to the answer then you should seek further support & guidance. The person responsible for Health & Safety in your business should be able to provide some direction and the manufacturer of the PPE should be able to assist.

The BSIF will be pleased to provide some general guidance to you, however the specifics of the suitability of use of any PPE are the responsibility of the company providing the PPE to you as their employee (whether directly employed or indirectly through a third party). 

PPE should only ever be specified following a full risk assessment of the working environment.

For more information, visit www.bsif.co.uk