PPE procurement: Care needed

In today's difficult economic climate, with more and more pressure on budgets, getting the right PPE for employees, avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring compliance with the law has never been more essential. Gordon Burns, European Workwear Applications Engineer at Gore discusses the procurement process

Employers need to take a robust and methodical approach to procuring PPE in order to ensure that what they procure is of good quality, is fit for purpose and is compliant with the law.

Risk and requirements When thinking about PPE selection and the specific requirements of the material making up that PPE, consideration must be given to the risks to which a wearer might be exposed, such as a risk of molten metal splashes for someone who does a lot of welding or of an electrical arc incident, for someone working on the overhead lines or a substation of a railway. Climatic conditions and the type and duration of the wearer's physical activities must also be considered. For example, do the risks at your site include heavy/sharp objects, corrosive chemicals, slippery floors, exposure to electricity? Do workers spend time indoors and out, do they work in all weathers?

Wearer comfort Ensuring PPE is comfortable is key, as uncomfortable PPE garments and footwear may end up not being worn. For example, the average worker sweats the equivalent of a cup of water through his feet each day. If footwear is not adequately breathable, allowing moisture to escape, the feet may feel cold and uncomfortable affecting concentration levels and worker well-being.

Legal obligations Employers are obliged, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the PPE at Work Regulations 1999 (updated in 2005) to 'assess, eliminate and control risks' to their workers. European norms also set out standards expected for workwear based on user requirements of the wearer. Employers must ensure PPE complies with these requirements.

Beware of counterfeit products. Compliant PPE products are classified with the required British Standard (BS) or relevant European EN European Normative Standard and CE approved. An easy way to be sure that your PPE meets these standards is to use a British Safety Industry Federation registered supplier. The BSIF has created a Registered Safety Supplier Scheme. All suppliers that join the scheme make a declaration that they only sell genuine and legal products and that their equipment 'does what it says on the tin'.

Field testing / wearer trials Field testing PPE before purchasing on a large scale will help to reduce waste and ensure the specification meets requirements, avoiding costly mistakes. Reputable manufacturers will be happy to participate in a process of piloting a new product and reviewing and amending it, before supplying on a larger scale.

For example, a pet-food company with a poor record of slips and trips did a trial using specially-designed safety footwear and found that workers using its previous issue footwear had suffered 15 slip injuries while those using the new footwear had not had any. Though the new footwear was more expensive, it lasted up to three times longer and the cost savings from the reduction in slip accidents saved the company about ?12,000 over the seven month trial.

Cost vs. quality It is a false economy to cut corners and focus purely on short term cost. Focusing on value for money, quality and durability will in the long term help the bottom line.

For example, based on standard calculations, two years' supply and use of laundered GORE-TEX jackets compared with disposable jackets over the same period can save from ?35-?145 per worker. It's also important to consider the on-going costs.

Some specialist firms offer a service where they rent and launder PPE, helping to ensure garments last and reducing on-going replacement costs.

Gore's PPE procurement checklist

• Adopt a considered, methodical approach



• Carry out a thorough risk assessment to determine PPE requirements



• Keep up to date with EU norms and other legal requirements with respect to PPE inclusive of SUCAM guidelines (Selection, Use, Care and Maintenance)



Carry out a wearer trial of any new PPE Source and procure from companies that have a reputation for quality manufacturing



• Avoid purchasing products online from a company which offers rock bottom pricing ? low cost may mean low quality



• Ask suppliers for case studies or even the opportunity to speak with clients



• Check the company is listed on the BSIF 'Registered Safety Supplier Scheme' website www.bsif.co.uk



• Ask for copies of test certificates before purchasing any products



• Check products are classified and labelled with the required British standard (BS) and/ or relevant European Normative Standard (EN) and CE
approved.