Shielding the market against counterfeit and illegal products

27 May 2009

Worker safety in the UK is currently being undermined by the increasing, presence of counterfeit and illegal safety equipment entering the country.
Whilst the matter of fake products may be of debatable consequence in many aspects of life, when it comes to the workplace, poor protection can actually put health and, ultimately, lives at risk.

Shielding the market against counterfeit and illegal products

The main concern is that those responsible for procuring and deploying safety equipment may be unable to distinguish counterfeit and non-conforming personal protective equipment (PPE) from the genuine article. Frequently the product performs badly, is incorrectly CE marked and does not meet the standard’s performance claims – but the wearer or user of the product will almost certainly be unaware of any problems until it is too late.

The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) is launching a major new scheme for member companies to help address this issue - the BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme – which will advise buyers where they can confidently obtain genuine safety equipment.

Membership of the BSIF is dependent on integrity within the market and a commitment to ethical trading. Member organisations that join the BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme will be taking these requirements to the next level with a legally binding declaration that the safety equipment they offer meets the appropriate standards, fully complies with the PPE regulations and are appropriately CE marked. They will consequently be subject to standards audits, and their declaration will be available in the public domain.
In return, registered organisations are able to display the BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme shield as an assurance to their customers that their products are genuine and comply with regulations.

The BSIF is committed to improving safety and health in the workplace, and also has an important role to play on behalf of its members to raise the profile of safety. This innovative industry scheme demonstrates a collective responsibility towards eradicating counterfeit and illegal products from the UK market.