The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of many and at the same time given rise to a number of new and inexperienced entrants supplying allegedly certified Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
It has led to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) issuing several safety alert warnings in recent months, many relating to counterfeit masks – 1.5 million of the style known as KN95 were quarantined and a further 25 million claiming to meet FFP3 standards were stopped from entering the supply chain.
This is not a problem affecting the UK alone. Interpol warned of a spike in fake masks and medical supplies which resulted in a 90 day operation and the seizure of £12 million worth of potentially dangerous PPE and other medical supplies.
Fake certification is also rife with illicit traders targeting well-known brand names and authorised testing houses. Fake PPE has predominantly impacted disposable face masks, but also latex gloves, protective coveralls and eyewear.
It is something that Safeaid, a leading manufacturer and supplier of quality, compliant safety clothing to the rail industry for more than 40 years, knows something about.
Sales Manager Roy Stone has written an article for railbusinessdaily.com on the difficulties they have faced since the pandemic started.
“PPE is highly regulated and for good reason. It is the last line of defence for the wearer so fake PPE or that not fit for purpose both contravenes safety legislation and puts lives at risk. The surge in demand and supply issues in recent months has really intensified this problem.
As a manufacturer ourselves – Signal is our own brand developed specifically to meet the needs of the Rail industry – it is critical that our supply chain is robust enough to withstand scrutiny and regular audits.
We employ the services of a third party auditing company to manage overseas visits and inspections, they check product standards and processes and we batch test product on arrival in the UK.
The reports we receive from our independent auditors go into some detail, sometimes 30 or 40 pages of observations including the age of the workforce and conditions.
We are rigorous in our approach to safety and compliance and rightly so. Our customers have a right to expect our goods to do what they say they will. We verify testing houses as well, which has been even more important in the past few months. Fake certification can look genuine to an inexperienced eye. On many occasions we have telephoned a respected testing house with a certification number to be told it is fake.
A number of accreditation and government bodies such as the BSIF, HSE and BSI are working tirelessly to help guide and support UK business in their coronavirus buying decisions. This is one of the reasons we are a member of the Registered Safety Supplier Scheme (RSSS) which is set up and managed by the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF). They have a directory online at www.bsif.co.uk and you can easily confirm if your potential PPE supplier is a member or not.
We have seen an increase in the amount of PPE we are selling but there has been a lot to learn. We had previously specialised in dust masks rather than medical masks; it has been a steep but valuable learning curve when it comes to accreditation and certification.
During the early stages of lockdown, people were panic buying sanitisers and masks for example, from any source with little or no regard for the correct certification.
The sheer volume of PPE coming into the UK made it extremely difficult to control and regulate at first. There is still too much in the marketplace but the end user is a lot wiser now. Instead of buying any mask or any sanitiser from a miscellaneous supplier, buyers are now looking more closely at the certification and country of origin.
As standard products become more readily available, I am confident buyers will revert back to them and that will remove the non-compliant PPE out of the system.
The exporting countries are being more diligent and collectively we need to ensure we stop this fake and dangerous PPE from reaching our shores. Ultimately though, it will depend on the purchasing decisions made by companies and end users.
I’d just say to those buying PPE to remember the health, safety and wellbeing of their staff when procuring PPE. Check the certification is valid. Don’t be wary of challenging them either, a reputable manufacturer will be delighted to provide evidence of the compliance of their products.”
Source: The Independent newspaper, 25/03/20 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-face-mask-fake-turkey-medical-supply-shortage-covid-19-a9423426.html
Roy Stone, Sales Manager, Safeaid, www.safeaidsupplies.com
