When to Replace Your PPE and Workwear in London

Did you know that some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has an expiry date or a best before date? As the head of the Facilities Management department in a London organisation, it is your responsibility to know whether your facilities management PPE needs to be replaced in order to maintain the health and safety of your workers.

• Height and safety harnesses – ten-year lifespan
• Hard hats – two-year lifespan
• Disposable respirators – three years following manufacturing date
• Sunscreen – six months after opening

Of course, these dates are just a guideline, and the lifespans will vary according to usage rates, indoor or outdoor use, UV levels, dirt and chemical levels, sweat exposure and also how the PPE is stored and looked after between uses. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic there was uproar as London hospitals were sent out of date healthcare PPE, meaning the effectiveness was reduced and therefore employers were not compliant in their heath and safety obligations to their staff. Out of date PPE is just another risk assessment that needs to be carried out to protect staff whilst they go about their day-to-day business activities. But this is a lot of information for a busy London-based Facilities Manager to keep track of, as well as the varying conditions of use. But that is where Stronghold Global can help. We offer Facilities Management teams a free audit on their PPE and facilities management workwear, identifying any PPE which may need replacing. Additionally, through our procurement portal you are able to keep track of PPE expiry dates on new equipment purchased. Then via the Stronghold workwear procurement portal there is a choice of more than 50,000 PPE items to cover all of your requirements. Additionally, we are very aware of the problems that Facilities Management face and we are here to make that easier for you by:

• Improving stock management
• Improving procurement procedures
• Improving reporting capabilities
• Ensuring compliance across your business

The Portal is more than a platform to order your PPE and workwear, it is a tool which can streamline your ordering process, speed up the procedure with next-day delivery across London, ensure all PPE workwear and equipment is compliant and consistent as well as enabling management to keep an eye on PPE and workwear purchasing data, purchasing trends, vulnerable areas, PPE expiry dates and monthly purchasing spend. To find out more about how Stronghold Global’s Portal can help you or for a PPE and workwear audit contact the team today 0845 208 4500, or email [email protected].