Personal Protection Equipment
I require Personal Protection Equipment to conduct normal duties but have been struggling to access equipment. What can I do?
Members of NFUS who are experiencing difficulties in getting supplies of their usual Personal Protection Equipment, such as masks, gloves, coveralls etc from their normal suppliers can contact Penny.Middleton@nfus.org.uk. You will be sent a procurement form and accounts form to complete and this will be fed into a central Government scheme to try and access equipment – there are no guarantees as supplies remain tight but we will do our best to get the equipment needed.
Is there guidance about PPE from HSE available?
HSE have pulled together relevant information about PPE requirements if you are an employer. HSE guidance is available here.
Are there any safety notices regarding the use of specific Personal Protection Equipment?
On Thursday 11 June, HSE issued a safety notification of KN95 face masks.
KN95 is a performance rating under Chinese standard GB2626:2006. Whilst this standard broadly matches the European Standards BSEN149:2001+A1:2009 for FFP2 facemasks, the masks have not been independently quality assured. Personal protective equipment (PPE) cannot be sold or supplied as PPE unless it is CE marked. Therefore, KN95 must not be used as PPE at work as their effectiveness cannot be assured.
- Guidance from HSE is available here