REMA Announces Campaign to Report Faulty Workwear
30 May 2006
Non-conforming workwear is putting lives at risk, according to REMA (The Retroreflective Equipment Manufacturers Association). Faulty high visibility clothing recently discovered by members of the REMA High Visibility Sub-committee indicates that a great deal of High Visibility clothing on sale in the UK fails to meet the minimum requirements of the relevant European Standard BSEN471.
“With lives potentially at risk, the situation has become very serious. We therefore plan to highlight the problem with a campaign of testing and non-conformance reporting to Trading Standards Officers,” informed Mike Mason, chairman of REMA. “However, to achieve total success we need greater awareness and the assistance of everyone involved in the supply chain.
“Workers on our highways risk being killed whilst non-compliant garments are offered for sale,” stressed Mike Mason. “The fact that these workers may be labouring under the possible misconception that their garments are helping to protect them on the job is a huge concern.
REMA has found faults that include non-conforming garment designs; garments with insufficient areas of background fabric (fluorescent material) to meet the specified Class of garment; and incorrect labelling or total lack of labelling, as required. Also common is insufficient retroreflective tape or retroreflective tape that does not conform to the specified performance requirements laid down in the Standard. It is also a legal requirement to accompany each garment with an information sheet. These are often incorrect or missing. Each of these faults constitutes a failure to meet BS EN 471.
“The problem in many cases is that high visibility garments, particularly lightweight waistcoats, are considered a commodity item where the lowest price is the major factor. Here compliance with essential BS EN 471 safety standards is being disregarded.”
REMA believes that there are too many suppliers, importers in particular, who may not fully understand - or even perhaps tend to ignore - the legal requirement of the Standard in order to cut corners. Whilst potentially increasing garment sales by reducing prices, such action can significantly compromise the safety of the wearer. Apparent lack of knowledge by some distributors and stockists is compounding the problem. An example is the availability of garments on local market stalls.
REMA has been instrumental in the removal of non-conforming waistcoats on sale at one large supermarket chain. These were returned to the supplier with the risk, fears REMA, that they could possibly re-enter the supply chain. In addition, some garments recently examined by the Association could not be easily traced back to the supplier. This again contravenes the Standard and the European Directive for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
Apart from the vital safety risks where inadequate garments reach the user, REMA companies are concerned that they are being penalised for investing in quality, being legally compliant and ensuring enduring safety conformance (and therefore worker protection) whilst others do not. It is impossible to compete with non-conforming and therefore cheaper garments.
It is obvious that such a technically sophisticated product cannot be sold for less than £1.00 (they often are) whilst consistently conforming to the safety requirements of BS EN 471. Market growth and lower cost manufacturing of both the garments and key components have seen prices drop, but established manufacturers and importers agree that the performance of garments with such low price tags must be questioned.
Today high visibility clothing is available at most town and city open markets, often not even wrapped and therefore improperly protected, which means that even if it did conform originally, it may not by the time it is bought by an unsuspecting member of the public, unaware of the Standard and its requirements.
“We need to raise awareness among users that high visibility garments may not be all they seem: that protective wear that does not protect is putting lives at risk,” emphasised Mike Mason. “Employers who supply the garments must be aware that they would be legally liable if a defective garment was shown to have contributed to an accident.”
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Editor’s Notes:
REMA has always taken the lead on raising standards in the industry. Under the Association’s Code of Practice, REMA members are required to have documentation that must prove full compliance to current UK legislation and international, European and British Standards.
REMA is the trade association for manufacturers of retroreflective traffic safety products that are used mainly on the highway, but are also found at airports, industrial sites and sports grounds. The products provide visual information, day and night, for both permanent and temporary traffic needs.
REMA has some 30 member companies. Members belong to one or more sub committees, divided as follows: horizontal road markings, road studs, barriers and temporary signs, marker posts and street furniture, road cones and cylinders, high visibility clothing, safety lamps, vehicle conspicuity markings, quality and development.
Editorial contact for more information:
Rosemary Vaux at
Ravenstone Public Relations Limited,
8 The Causeway,
Teddington,
Middx TW11 OHE
tel 020 8943 5343
fax 0870 164 0949
e-mail: rvaux@ravenstone-pr.demon.co.uk
