NEWS IN BRIEF...
October 1st 2007 PPE or NOT PPE
The BSIF's involvement with the Expert Group within the EU Commission on PPE and the extension of the European Community to some 27 member states is beginning to raise a number of peripheral issues which will likely provide distracting material for meetings across the EU for some time to come. Many of the ascending states, keen to demonstrate their ‘good European’ credentials, are now identifying items with safety features and asking for a definitive answer on whether or not they are PPE.
The ‘electrician’s screwdriver’ question some 10 years ago was seen as setting a precedent and generated the unwritten understanding that ‘the prime purpose of the product needed to be one of protection’ for it to be PPE. The electrician’s screwdriver was primarily to drive in screws, the protective elements were sensible and precautionary but not essential. We leave it to readers to judge whether a fluorescent key ring and/or fluorescent, sticky patches for garments should be classified as hi-vis PPE. The BSIF believes not. However, if a majority believes otherwise, there could be some interesting consequences.
COSHH Material Data Sheets
The BSIF has been in conversation with the HSE to seek its support for a mandatory provision of improved handling and emergency information on COSHH material data-sheets for hazardous materials and process chemicals. Information such as ‘wear adequate protection’ or ‘mop up spills with an inert material’ is common and, in the BSIF's opinion, wholly inadequate.
While the HSE has been supportive of the principle, it has now been given 'competent authority' status for the REACH Directive. To be fair, this Directive does have similar requirements to those seen as necessary by the BSIF, the only trouble is that for smaller quantity chemicals, the requirement does not kick-in until 2018 and, even then, such information will be registered by a supplier-managed, web-based user group with the basic information being only available to the contributors – one for each chemical! The BSIF takes the view that its original objective is now even more important and is continuing its dialogue with the HSE, hopefully to a mutually successful conclusion which enhances the information available to users of hazardous chemicals.
EN 14116 - get involved or suffer the consequences
As most readers will be aware, harmonised European PPE ENs are generated out of CEN, which is collectively owned by the national standards bodies of the EU member states. In addition, the principle of qualified majority voting has been brought in ahead of the new EU 'constitution'. The net result of this is that while the standard making process now takes much longer, there is the inevitability of a steamroller approaching a tortoise. Pay no attention to the approach of the steam-roller and it becomes unstoppable and the tortoise gets quashed.
This salutary lesson has been learned recently in respect of fire resistant clothing as EN 14166 is about to replace the old standard. Despite a negative vote from the UK, publication of EN 14116 was passed by an 80% (qualified) majority. There will likely now be some problems regarding 'suitability' and 'availability' (any problems - the BSIF may be able to help) but the lessons are clear - if there are important standards matters, they need to be addressed in the initial stages as it is virtually impossible to 'veto' the standard at the voting stage as the die will already be cast. More articles from British Safety Industry Federation: | 
