Keys, wallet, phone… mask.

The things we used to pat ourselves down for when leaving the house have been added to during 2020.

Ask for a visual representation of the Covid-19 pandemic and the sight of people going about their daily business in a face covering will probably be the image that comes to mind.

If not, then possibly pictures of key workers and NHS staff kitted out in varying levels of PPE as they fight Covid on the frontline.

From a business perspective, it’s not always easy to know what level of protection you need to buy. Do you need CE-marked masks, or just simple, yet effective, face coverings?

As we know there is a difference between what is needed for a trip to the office, an afternoon working on the shop floor or time spent working on the front line.

I can help you pick the right product for your needs from a marketplace that is now crowded with options – some of which aren’t as reliable as you would think.

My experience of working with PPE for decades has also given me insight into sorting the good from the bad, and that’s perhaps even more important.

But how do you do that?

For anything to pass muster with me, it has to be tested to the correct EN standards, be CE marked, have an EC/EU Type Certificate to prove it and the seller should be affiliated with the BSIF.

If you make sure you check all of those things you have made a really good start… However, in order to have total confidence in your purchase, I would recommend following some further steps.

The item of PPE should be type approved by a Notified Body who all have a four-digit notified body number. If that ties up to a list of properly-scoped Notified Bodies, then your confidence in the product can increase.

However, you still need to make sure that the certification is current – it amazes me how sometimes certifications are presented that are out of date.

I also recommend ensuring checking to see if the notified body exists – believe it or not sometimes they don’t -  It’s a simple check, but one that is often overlooked.

Before our company sells or supplies any mask - be it as a face covering or as PPE - I go through that same process. Without fail. Each and every time.

And because Commercial’s Facilities PPE and Workwear division is affiliated to the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), we have extra layers of help too.

We have a close working relationship with the BSIF and I appreciate their help when it comes to assessing PPE.

And it’s why we have chosen to partner with BSIF for a webinar on 28 January (11am), so you can hear for yourselves about how you can be certain when sourcing the PPE you need.

To register your interest e-mail ppewebinar@commercial.co.uk.