We are delighted to announce the launch of the new Registered Safety Supplier Scheme website!
www.registeredsafetysupplierscheme.co.uk
The Registered Safety Supplier Scheme (RSSS) historically focussed on the threat posed by fake and counterfeit products and fake and counterfeit certification. However, in addition to this problem, a much more pernicious threat has become apparent and that is the failure of PPE to match the performance claims that the CE certification denotes and crucially the performance that users anticipate.
If the outcome of an employer’s risk assessment includes the necessity for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) it is the law that it must be provide adequate protection against the hazard and it must be suitable for the individual.
Since late 2016 the BSIF has taken significant steps to strengthen the terms and conditions of the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme as we experienced increasing evidence that PPE products in the market fail to perform. Many products in Category I such as leather gloves contain Chromium VI and Azo dyes and therefore fail the CE Basic Requirements of Safety and Health where the PPE itself actually contains a threat to the user. Perhaps the most startling examples come in Category II (Safety Footwear, Safety Helmets and High Visibility Clothing) where the performance claims from the original, one time, type testing are just not being achieved. It has therefore became absolutely necessary to strengthen the terms of the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme to address this.
As part of the strengthening BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme members submit to the testing of products from their range to ensure that they actually match the performance claims that they make.
Of the tests conducted during 2017 some 15% of products tested had failures against clauses in the relevant EN standard. The tests were not restricted just to the categories mentioned above but also included category 3 products. Failures saw the brand owner then conducting their own independent tests which resulted in the RSSS member taking the appropriate action of ensuring that the items were removed from sale. The RSSS is clearly making a contribution to ensuring the safety and health of the workforce.
The BSIF is dedicated to eliminating non-compliant, unsafe, counterfeit and illegal safety products from the UK market and provide a quality assurance scheme for the purchase of genuine PPE that will help to keep people safe and healthy at work.
The number of non – compliant, illegal and poorly performing safety products offered for sale in the UK market is significant and all organisations and individuals sourcing PPE and related equipment need assurance that the markings, documentation and claims for the performance of the product are genuine.
The BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme has been strengthened to provide assurance to PPE customers and users that only compliant and correctly performing products are supplied.
During 2016 there were approximately 40 companies who were signed up to the scheme,at January 2018 that number has tripled, meaning that the quality of products now being presented to wearers and to the UK market has been improved.
The RSSS Website
the new website for the RSSS scheme is designed to enable end users to understand, engage and utilise the scheme in a much easier and straight forward way. The sites visitors will now have full access to the members of the scheme thanks to the Supplier search function and the supplier list page.
The supplier search function is designed so that a buyer of PPE can put in their chosen location and a radius to this (from 5 miles up to 100 miles) and then click search. The results will then show all Registered Safety Suppliers within the chosen radius. This makes it easy for the purchaser to source their required product from the supplier directly. The search results also show contact details and the suppliers website meaning that their entire range of products is available to the user.
The supplier list page has an individual section for each member of the scheme and includes logo, company name and website, again to make it very easy for the user to find PPE.
Supporters of the scheme are also encouraged to get involved and can benefit from declaring that as a purchaser of PPE they will source product, where possible, from RSSS members because they see the importance of using a reputable and compliant organisation who has joined the scheme due to their commitment to good safety practices. By aligning up as a supporter they benefit from having the company logo put on to the RSSS website to promote their commitment to the scheme and the fact they are using best practice when it comes to purchasing PPE.
The login area for supporters also provides them with access to BSIF campaign downloads, latest industry news and updates in legislation from the EU.
Ask BSIF is another benefit of the new site and allows for consumers to ask us any questions relating to Safety & Health by filling out the online form. We will then come back with the answer to their query.
We hope that by developing this website the RSSS will become a lot easier to access and be used by all of those who are involved in the sourcing of Personal Protective Equipment, therefore combating and illuminating the threat of non-compliant, fake and illegal PPE within the market place.