Rapid assessment of pandemic PPE for supply to frontline healthcare workers
Stage in GSE Lifecyle
Primary stage : Implement cross-government (x-HMG)
PPE products are required to be conformity assessed and CE marked demonstrating that they meet the minimum legal requirement. Working with the DHSC and MHRA, the Health and Safety Executive’s PPE unit developed coronavirus-specific Essential Technical Requirements for new high-volume manufacture of PPE devices, including eye/face protection, respirators and isolation gowns. Rapid scientific reviews informed government policy and opened international supply routes.
Over 900 enquires have been processed, enabling supply of billions of items of PPE. The team also identified items not meeting the required standards, resulting in 1.5million ineffective respirators being quarantined and preventing 25 million KN95 respirators entering the supply chain. Withdrawal notices have been served, which included a manufacturer selling a fake respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and enforcement action was taken against a UK supplier of powered filtering RPE.
The team also worked with a major manufacturer of PPE enabling the UK production of a sustainable supply supporting pandemic requirement preparedness.
These achievements were recognised by winning the British Occupational Hygiene Society through the team receiving their prestigious Peter Isaac Award.
An image of a face mask and protective goggles, common forms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Team
Personal Protective Equipment Unit
Department(s)
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Contact Details
Email : OCCHYG@hse.gov.uk
Description
HSE assembled a team of occupational hygienists, regulatory inspectors, material scientists, policy makers, PPE specialist and microbiologists to support the Government’s pandemic plan. Working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Public Health England (PHE), Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the NHS and other government bodies, the HSE team valuated materials and specifications against relevant PPE requirements to rapidly provide agreement that new and novel sources of supply have been properly assessed and can be deployed to frontline healthcare workers without unnecessary delay.