Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

CoronavirusOH service deliveryHealth and safetyHealth & Safety ExecutiveOccupational Health

Certification body issues warning over ‘fake’ PPE

by Ashleigh Webber 19 May 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 19 May 2020 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

Organisations bringing staff back into the workplace may have unwittingly purchased ineffective personal protective equipment (PPE) that may not offer sufficient protection against coronavirus exposure.

The British Standards Institute warned that a number of manufacturers had been selling medical face masks and other PPE for healthcare settings with “fake” certificates.

Return to work

SOM return-to-work toolkit highlights OH leadership role post pandemic

Health and safety regulator prepares for rush of calls as workplaces reopen

It urged those involved in procurement to verify that safety certificates are genuine by checking that the link at the bottom of the PDF certificate is valid, or looking up the certificate on the BSI VerifEye Directory.

BSI said it had informed Trading Standards and other European regulators about the apparent falsification of safety certificates.

James Pink, a senior director of global health and safety organisation NSF International, told The Guardian newspaper that some manufacturers had been deliberately selling PPE with falsified certificates, while others were mistakenly putting unverified kit on the market.

“The risk is that there is non-conforming product out there giving us all a false assurance of safety,” he said.

“A lot of companies are not used to purchasing PPE, or just do it for occupational risk, rather than protecting against a communicable infectious agent. I’ve reviewed more than 10 companies that have been submitted as being a PPE supplier and there have been inaccuracies in documentation.”

Meanwhile, a report in the i newspaper has alleged that the Health and Safety Executive has not been carrying out inspections of workplaces to check they are operating safely, despite prime minister Boris Johnson’s claims that spot inspections of food outlets, manufacturing plants and construction sites would be taking place.

An HSE spokesperson said: “In line with government guidance to cease all but essential work that cannot be done outside of the home, minimising contact between individuals, HSE has paused all proactive inspections at this time to reduce any risk posed to our own staff and to members of the public.”

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor of OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
Unemployment claims jump as vacancies plummet
next post
Tube worker wins £14k after dismissal delays

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Call for ‘national mental health plan’ for England

29 Sep 2023

Third of women failing to check regularly for...

29 Sep 2023

Better-defined titles for occupational health nurses developed

29 Sep 2023

Long Covid risk may have been overstated because...

29 Sep 2023

Weight gain among oil rig workers prompts health...

26 Sep 2023

OH placements: a win-win for students and employers

25 Sep 2023

Long-term sickness forcing more women and young men...

25 Sep 2023

Long Covid can lead to multiple organ damage...

25 Sep 2023

Scotland struggling to control work-related ill health

22 Sep 2023

Depression risk linked to ultra-processed foods

22 Sep 2023

  • Discover the value of CIPD accreditation PROMOTED | See how the CIPD can increase your earning potential...Read more
  • What does it mean to be an HR professional in 2024? (survey) PROMOTED | The world of HR is changing rapidly...Read more
  • The Contractor Management Mastery Pack: Everything you need to manage and pay global contractors PROMOTED | Answers to cross-border...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today