As part of the BSIF Duty Holder Membership Scheme, you gain access to the BSIF PPE Helpline — a dedicated support service administered by the British Safety Industry Federation. This expert helpline was established in 2024 specifically to help remove barriers around sourcing reliable and compliant PPE.
The helpline is operated by PPE and safety specialists who provide impartial, timely guidance across a wide range of topics — no sales pitch, just practical advice. Whether you’re a duty holder, category manager, or safety professional, you can rely on their expertise.
BSIF members can email questions any time to ppehelpline@bsif.co.uk
When to Contact the PPE Helpline
- Fit-for-purpose PPE: Confirm whether selected items are suitable for specific hazards, use-cases, or working conditions.
- Regulatory support: Get clarity on UK and EU legislation, including PPE Regulation 2016/425, UKCA and CE marking requirements, and post‑Brexit certification nuances.
- Non‑compliance concerns: Check products and certification, report suspicious or potentially unsafe products; the BSIF has found up to 85 % of PPE from non-member suppliers failed compliance testing.
- Product advice & selection: Receive guidance on identifying suitable PPE & safety products, understanding documentation, and checking product markings and certifications.
- Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE): Support with assessing general RPE options, and advice on face-fit testing to ensure your team is protected.
Why This Service Matters to You
1. Reliable, expert-backed advice — the helpline offers independent guidance
2. Compliance confidence — using BSIF-support and checklists helps reduce risk and supports legal compliance.
3. Enhanced procurement— members can better evaluate suppliers, especially by using BSIF’s Registered Safety Supplier Scheme (RSSS) to ensure sourcing of genuine, compliant PPE & Safety Products.
4. Customised support — from those choosing PPE, to those monitoring standards, this helpline can assist with many roles in your organisation.
Example of the PPE Helpline in action
An employer was looking for recommendations on RPE for entering a small room containing a diesel generator where diesel exhaust products were present. The advice given was that the CO hazard may result in an oxygen deficient atmosphere and the room may also be considered as a confined space. Additionally, the inability of filtered RPE to filter out carbon monoxide would require an independent air supply, such as a SCBA. The costs of a BA RPE and confined space entry programme for the situation would be high, and it was advised that the hazard could be removed by engineering controls including external exhaust venting and ventilation of the room. The first consideration should always be to remove a hazard.
By utilising the helpline, members of the Duty Holder Membership Scheme can make smarter decisions, better protect people, and reduce risk across their operations.
email your questions to ppehelpline@bsif.co.uk