The British Safety Industry Federation publishes a new white paper
Substandard PPE is dangerous. Workers using non-compliant PPE will expose themselves to workplace risks thinking they are protected when they are not. Policing of the UK safety products market through effective market surveillance and enforcement is therefore vital for the interests of worker safety. The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) is proud of the important role it plays supporting UK authorities in this mission.
The BSIF has published a new white paper ‘Combating Sub-Standard PPE in the UK’ that presents results from the last year of its extensive voluntary market surveillance work.
Combatting-substandard-PPE-1.pdf
Full press release
The results reinforce the message that, more than ever, employers, duty holders and specifiers of PPE need to be rigorous when verifying credentials of their PPE suppliers to ensure the products they purchase will perform as intended. This work highlighted that the product test and assessment results from BSIF Registered Safety Suppliers were excellent when compared with non-registered suppliers. BSIF Registered Safety Suppliers demonstrated a 96% compliance rate and any issues identified were promptly resolved.
In stark contrast, the white paper reveals alarming statistics for the test and assessment results of PPE selected from non-registered suppliers during 2025. 82% of these products failed the BSIF test and assessment checks. Physical testing failures were recorded for 43% of these products. There were widespread issues with non-compliant documentation and product markings among non-registered products. Missing Declarations of Conformity and User Instructions were commonplace. This is a serious problem because PPE is provided to individuals to protect against a known hazard following a risk assessment, and proof, through proper certification, that the PPE is capable of performing is therefore absolutely essential.
“Combating Sub-Standard PPE in the UK” is essential reading for health and safety professionals and PPE specifiers and buyers. It highlights the critical role of verification and trusted suppliers in ensuring the safety of workers. By understanding the risks associated with sub-standard PPE and taking proactive steps to verify supplier credibility and product compliance, organisations can protect their workers and meet their legal responsibilities.
The BSIF urges businesses and consumers to purchase PPE from BSIF registered safety suppliers to ensure compliance and worker safety. Always look for the Registered Safety Suppliers shield.