Is your personal protective equipment legal?

Is your personal protective equipment (PPE) legal?

PPE can be defined under any of the following categories:

• Safety footwear
• Fall arrest harnesses
• Chemical protective clothing
• Safety helmets (i.e. hard hats)
• Eye protection
• High-visibility clothing
• Respiratory protective equipment
• Hand protection
• Welding protection

There is an issue of illegal and counterfeit PPE items being available on the market, though. If you are using such items, then you are putting yourself and your workers at risk, but you may not even realize.

In order to combat this problem, the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) has created the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme (RSSS). If you see the BSiF Shield on equipment, then you know it is legal and up to standard.

If you aren't sure about the equipment you are using, or just want more advice, then please don't hesitate to get in touch or visit a website dedicated to PPE.

We must thank Jeff Lambert and the Merseyside and Cheshire Construction Safety Group for bringing this issue to our attention.