BSIF aims to remove illegal safety products from the UK
The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) is committed to eliminating counterfeit and illegal products from the Pharma market. Discussions between the BSIF, Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have identified a mutual desire to rid the UK of unsafe products.
The BSIF says it has received a number of reports of products not performing to the standards being claimed, equipment with falsified CE certificates and cheap copies of proprietary personal protective equipment (PPE), which appear not to have been independently tested.
As a result the organisation has launched a Registered Safety Supplier Scheme within its Counterfeit and Illegal products campaign, which is designed to help buyers of products find suppliers of genuine safety equipment. In return, registered suppliers 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 issue of counterfeit and illegal products is growing in the safety industry,” said David Hall, chairman of the BSIF. “One of the core aims of the BSIF has always been to help improve safety and health in the workplace, therefore I’m sure this new initiative will continue to be at the heart of BSIF activity for some time.
“By joining this initiative we hope to give users of PPE equipment reassurance and send a clear signal to those who sell or produce counterfeit and illegal products that there is no place for these in the UK market.” www.bsif.co.uk