Watch out for fake personal protective equipment, construction workers told

Red V-Gard 500 Safety Helmet
From MSA - Vented
With Fas-Trac Suspension

Construction workers and tradesmen have been warned to look out for fake personal protective equipment after an alarming number of counterfeit items were discovered in circulation.

An alarming number of counterfeit personal protective equipment (PPE) items have been found in circulation recently, leading to warnings from various construction and trade organisations.

Among the institutions advising their members to be vigilant when it comes to PPE are the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians and the British Safety Industry Federation.

The bodies are concerned by reports of numerous fake items, with particular attention paid to head protection products.

Knock-off copies of JSP hard hats have become more commonplace in the UK in recent months, with firms in either Asia or the Middle East thought to be the culprits.

Worryingly, these PPE items can be broken in two using just the strength in one's hands.

Tell-tale signs that you might have purchased one of these copies also include the words "Burly" or "Mkll" being printed on the underside of the peak.

JSP has urged its customers to be on the lookout for suspect helmets and director of technical support Matthew Judson suggested those with doubts get in touch.

"If you suspect a helmet is fake, give us a call and we will send someone out to have a look at it, or take it back to the place you bought it from," he said.

Ensure that the head protection and personal protective equipment you are purchasing comes from a trusted manufacturer and supplier.  Frontline Safety has a wide range of safety helmets from MSA and Drager, including the V-Gard range, featured on our website.

There are also accessories and hearing protection, suitable for wear with selected helmets which can be found on the Frontline Safety website.

There have also been reports of fake safety gloves and scaffolding equipment, which could potentially endanger the lives of workers and the public.

In other news, Balfour Beatty has been fined after a worker injured his hand in two separate incidents within less than a year of each other.

Written by Chris Malone