Engineering news
NOT ALL PPE EQUIPMENT IS CREATED EQUAL
Mechanical engineers work with many types of machinery and equipment when developing, testing and manufacturing new designs. This type of work often involves the use of Personal Protective Equipment to keep workers safe. However, Arco has identified that despite PPE having the required EC type approval and CE mark, recent tests have indicated that some of the products you assume to be safe, may not actually be fit for purpose.
INADEQUATE PPE IN THE MARKET
Procedural weaknesses within the EC type approval and CE marking process allow less reputable manufacturers or importers to gain CE certification for products and then subsequently make changes. These changes could impact on the product’s safety performance as further testing may not be conducted as the CE certificate is already available. Although manufacturers of category three PPE are required to have a third party monitoring process in place for the actual product or a quality management system, there is no third party production monitoring process for category one or two PPE. It is up to the manufacturer to ensure the product continues to conform to the standards.
TOE CAP FAILURES
An example of these failures came to light when Arco performed tests on non metallic safety footwear toe caps, products at the front line of safety across a wide range of industries. Traditionally toe caps were made from steel to ensure toes were not crushed in the event of an accident, but non-metallic materials have entered the marketplace, offering lightweight design and the ability to minimise disruption in security areas. Some of the non metallic toe caps are constructed from composite glass fibre and others are injection moulded thermoplastics.
Arco carried out product assurance compression testing, in its UKAS and SATRA independently accredited lab, on own brand footwear along with a sample of footwear currently available on the market. During the testing, it became apparent that the safety footwear using some injection moulded plastic toe caps in their construction, performed significantly worse than the fibreglass composite toe caps during compression testing. What does this mean for the wearer of the boots? If the foot is compressed, these substandard toe caps would not protect the wearer as intended, resultant injuries being broken bones or even amputation. The use of a thermoplastic toe caps in safety footwear construction is not immediately evident and purchasers are relying on the CE mark being accurate.
SAFEGUARDING AS AN INDUSTRY
KEEPING WORKERS SAFE – NO ROOM FOR DOUBT
Identifying true product compliance is difficult for the user but anyone who has concerns over the safety of the equipment they are being supplied should follow these steps:
• Ask your suppliers for a declaration of conformity that shows original certification for the PPE you are purchasing.
• Ask your suppliers to define their process for sample testing to ensure safety products continue to meet the required standards.
• Ensure your suppliers are members of the BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme.
• Ask your suppliers to define their process of quality assurance at the manufacturing facility to ensure the products are being manufactured as they were originally certified.
• Always buy from a trusted source.
As the UK’s leading distributor, Arco takes the issue of safety very seriously and is the only distributor in the UK to have invested in a Product Assurance Laboratory for testing PPE and provides Expert Advice on Non Metallic Footwear.