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Mark Sennett
Managing Editor |
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Kelly Rose
Editor |
Time for a tailored approach
14 August 2024
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last resort for ensuring the safety of employees. But while supply shortages are easing, RS explores the other challenges buyers must get to grips to ensure it is fit for purpose.

ACCORDING TO the 2024 Health & Safety Report, produced by RS in association with Health and Safety Magazine, a growing issue when purchasing PPE is that of sustainability. 78 per cent of respondents say they would be prepared to pay more for a sustainable item, but there is a disconnect here. 11 per cent see product cost as the most important factor when choosing PPE (down from 14% the previous year). For those who say they would not pay more, cost and budget are the dominant reasons.
This can be seen in some of the comments left in the survey that informed the report. Some people acknowledged the issue, saying “cost is the overriding factor in most purchasing decisions” or “our company favours cheaper price over sustainability”. Others argued there are better ways for their business to reduce their impact on the environment, or that their priority was to buy the best item rather than focus on either cost or sustainability.
There is a clear need for more awareness of the total cost when it comes to PPE, including the cost to society of buying products that aren’t fit for purpose.
Dr Karen McDonnell, occupational health and safety policy adviser at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: “If a more sustainable product means the PPE is longer-lasting, then there also needs to be a greater emphasis on the condition of the PPE over time.
“This means the use of it, the fit, and how it is maintained and stored to ensure it remains fit for purpose.”
John Barnacle-Bowd, vice president for environment, health and safety at RS Group agreed there’s a need for people to look beyond the initial price, at least while sustainable products tend to remain more expensive.
He said: “Organisations go for the traditional piece and won’t necessarily look at the longevity of the sustainable product and how that can save money in the whole supply chain.
“Will it last longer? Is it made of a better material? It’s all that lifecycle analysis for that product we need to take into consideration, and I don’t think we’re there yet. In time, when the market is flooded with sustainable products, prices will start coming down but we’re a way off that yet.”
Those who are looking to purchase more sustainable items need to exercise the same care and attention they would for any other item, to check items are what they say they are.
“Manufacturers need to be doing more to educate both distributors and end-users because it can be a minefield,” said Ryan Plummer, senior director at RS Safety Solutions. “RS’s Better World product offering is designed to help with this, providing sustainable options verified by an independent body.
“Buyers are also starting to push the sustainability agenda,” he added. “We have noticed when we receive tenders from end-users, whether that’s to retain existing business or for new opportunities, there is now a growing weight on that sustainability piece.
“We often have to provide information on sustainable alternatives to what they may have previously been buying. That’s a growing trend.”
Finding the right products
Another troubling factor for organisations is finding the correct product for the application. This was put forward by 46 per cent of respondents of the RS Striving for Excellence report. And this has fallen from 49 per cent the year before, perhaps due to an easing of supply shortages resulting from the pandemic. Availability is also less of an issue now, with only seven per cent highlighting this compared to 13 per cent the previous year.
One emerging challenge is that of range, acknowledged by 12 per cent of professionals. Plummer said over the last three years his organisation has increased the number of line items from 12,000 to 40,000.
“That’s improved the proposition to the customer but can make the navigation more challenging,” he said.
“How you interact with the customer is key, because if you have a deeper understanding of the application the customer is protecting the user against, then you can narrow down that broader range into specific items. Equally, our website functionality also allows suitable filtering to achieve this goal.
“It's important that buyers understand the different available items,” he added. “In true production facilities, we will provide a very different type of hand protection to what we provide to the automotive space.
“We have strong relationships with suppliers we work with, in conjunction with the end-user, to ensure the correct PPE is sourced.”
Confronting concerns
There are challenges when it comes to buying PPE, however, and finding suppliers that have the right stock and services is seen as the biggest. And it’s growing: 31 per cent of respondents now say this is an issue compared to 23 per cent the year before.
Other issues include sourcing quality and trustworthy parts (28% up from 26%) and keeping up to date with new products and technology (23% as it was in 2023).
Part of the concern around finding suitable products stems from the threat of counterfeit items, highlighted during the pandemic. More than a third (37%) of people responding to the survey believe this is an issue, while others may be blissfully unaware of the risks of buying items that are not what they claim to be.
“The key here is to only use reputable suppliers,” said Barnacle-Bowd. “And to conduct due diligence on them ahead of any purchase. Make sure they have the CE mark and they’re correctly coded and have the right credentials.
“If you think about breathing apparatus, people’s lives depend on these products, so we’ve got to make sure it’s right. If your purchasing team is buying a substandard product, as a safety professional, I would highlight that to senior management and say it’s not acceptable.”
Time for a tailored approach
Another rapidly growing concern in the field of PPE is the need to ensure women receive properly fitting and tailored equipment, rather than having to rely on generic stock designed for men.
More than four in five (82%) of those who responded to the survey, believe more needs to be done to ensure PPE is suitable for women. And with women accounting for at least 40 per cent of the workforce in one in four organisations that responded, there is good reason why this issue is beginning to climb the agenda.
Yet only one per cent of people who purchase PPE list the need for women’s PPE as an important factor when buying items, suggesting there is still much work to be done. Much of this is down to cost, with 11 per cent identifying product cost as the main consideration when buying items.
Plummer added that ill-fitting PPE isn’t just an inconvenience, but can also pose serious safety risks for businesses and employees.
“If you have ill-fitting PPE and you’re working by a piece of machinery, there’s potential for the machine to snag that loose-fitting clothing and pull you into it,” he said. “We’re here to make sure people go home in the same condition they entered the workplace at the start of the day.”
Katherine Evans is the founder of the women’s support network, Bold as Brass. She has made it her mission to raise awareness of the topic, after working in different roles where she was expected to wear ill-fitting or sub-standard PPE.
“I’m a mining geologist,” she said. “I started off working offshore in oil and gas in the North Sea and mid-Atlantic and that was bad for PPE. My flotation suit didn’t fit me at all because it was made for very tall Dutch men, and I’m 5”2. It should have been tight so as to not let water in, but mine would have filled with water.”
The emphasis on price – with lower unit costs often coming as a result of buying in bulk – over fit, is all too familiar to her.
“The bulk-buying side of it is difficult because people aren’t average and it’s supposed to be personal,” Evans continued. “That’s the first P of PPE. PPE is treated like a commodity, not lifesaving equipment.”
Dr Karen McDonnell revealed that while women’s PPE is on the market, nearly 60 per cent of UK employers do not offer this to staff, with similar experiences found in the US, Canada and Australia.
“Organisations should be carrying out person-centred risk assessments for each employee or visitor carrying out activities that require PPE to be used,” she said.
“This should not be limited to employees’ inductions, but instead an ongoing and regularly updated process. To put it simply, PPE should protect.”
Taking action
“Along with sustainability, this is an area where the manufacturer, the distributor and the end-user must work hand in hand,” said Plummer.
“If you’re going to invest many millions of pounds into developing a product for an end-user, you need to have a route to market. We’re increasing the ranges and have done several on-site footwear discussions, where we've allowed people to come in and try on footwear so we’re taking the proposition to market in a slightly different way.”
Evans agreed that customers need to be clear about what they require.
“Businesses need to speak to the end-users,” she said. “From there, they need to combine that with risk assessments and feed back to the distributor they have already chosen, or go for a new tender and write into it they require inclusive PPE.
“A distributor is not going to stick on an extra quotation for women’s requirements if it hasn’t been expressed in the tender document.”
Dr McDonnell makes the point that ill-fitting PPE is not necessarily only an issue for women, even if this is where it manifests itself most obviously.
“We talk about a person-centred approach, because some PPE isn’t a good fit for men either,” she said. “Businesses need to make sure, if the risk assessment identifies PPE is required as a control measure, it fits the individual because that is a requirement of the regulations.
“If PPE is not a good fit, irrespective of who it’s for, it’s not going to be used,” she added. “That puts people at risk, which is unacceptable. PPE must account for safety as well as comfort.
“We want to raise awareness among workers, employers and regulators and encourage PPE producers to innovate and address gender inequality.”
Download the 2024 Health and Safety Report: Striving for Excellence
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- Sustainable goals
- Protect What Matters - June 2024
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