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From the CEO's Desk

27 October 2016

I write this after a fantastic BSIF Networking Day on Thursday 29 September- thank you all for coming.

Gathered at the Arden Marriot Hotel & Country Club, BSIF members and leading industry professionals alike came together to have fun, talk to each other and celebrate successes. A full update on this event, including the BSIF Outstanding Contribution Award and Commitment to Federation Activities winners will be provided in the next issue.

In previous HSM editions, I informed readers of the efforts of the Federation to strengthen the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme. These plans have progressed and from July 2017, all BSIF members selling or marketing PPE will be required to become members of the scheme and be willing to submit products for random testing to ensure compliance with current standards.

A Registered Safety Supplier Scheme member now…

  • Formally declares and commits to selling only certified PPE that performs to claims made
  • Submits their product range to random independent performance testing
  • Maintains a company Quality Policy
  • Commits to having customer facing staff educated and accredited in the Safe Supply qualification.

Who benefits …

  • The purchasers and users of PPE – with product that performs sourced from capable suppliers
  • RSSS scheme members as they become suppliers of choice in the market
  • The market – it becomes a fair “level playing field” as unscrupulous suppliers are deselected by users.

The BSIF commitment to product compliance has never been so paramount. Never before has there been more widespread evidence of product failing to meet claimed performance standards and we need to act now. The users of safety equipment and PPE deserve to get the standard of product they expect, supplied through a capable network.

We are now in the final stages of completing the Safe Supply Accreditation training programme. This scheme will provide PPE knowledge and learning input for customer facing individuals working within the UK Safety & Health industry. Further information on this will be provided in the next few months.

An initiative that I would like to draw your attention to this month is Gate Safety Week, which was held between 10-16 October, created to raise awareness around the installation and maintenance of powered gates, drawing attention to specific issues that can lead to accidents including poor installation and maintenance. The BSIF fully supports this initiative that will hopefully save lives and encourages readers to show their support in the future via Twitter #GateSafetyWeek

 
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