According to the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), the health of British employees in the pharmaceutical industry is put at risk by counterfeit personal protective equipment (PPE). Data have only been ascertained for the British market; however, it is assumed that the problem exists throughout Europe. The BSIF states that the risk for staff in the pharmaceutical industry is especially high since they often have to deal with highly toxic or highly active substances.

A part of the discovered fake products had counterfeit CE markings, others were cheap, untested copies or products that did not have the required properties.

The BSIF has now launched an initiative in Britain in order to counteract this problem. Manufacturers of protective equipment can register with the BSIF under the condition that they fulfil strict criteria. Then, buyers can get information about these suppliers from the BSIF.

In any case the Federation advises to challenge extremely low-priced offers, equipment from unknown suppliers or the lack of product or performance specifications. Further information can be found on the BSIF website.

Author
Dr. Robert Eicher
On behalf of the European Compliance Academy (ECA)