The problem of counterfeit and inferior personal protective equipment (PPE) finding its way into UK workplaces is growing, workplace equipment supplier, Slingsby, maintains.
Warning potential purchasers to be ‘extra vigilant’, the company says it welcomes proposed legislation that would make retailers and distributors responsible for ensuring products meet the required safety standards. Slingsby, whose product range includes an extensive range of PPE, says there are ‘a number of unscrupulous operators in the UK’ selling items including high visibility clothing, gloves, and goggles, ‘that fail to meet minimum safety requirements’.
MD, Dominic Slingsby, said: “Over the past couple of years it has been wellpublicised that cheap, substandard, and even counterfeit PPE is finding its way into the UK. A lot of the examples are badly made, fail to offer any real protection, and are non-compliant with safety standards.
“New legislation currently being considered would help eradicate counterfeit PPE by making retailers and distributors accountable for the quality of the products they sell. A new European PPE directive, currently being circulated in draft, would close a loophole that enables companies to sell substandard products without being accountable for their quality. This has to be welcome news.”
