Arco Helping the UK Get Back To Work

As the Government eases lockdown restrictions in England in a bid to restart the economy, some businesses are making their plans to re-open. The Government has issued a set of guidelines to ensure safe working, but many business owners and managers are concerned about how these should be met and the measures they need to put in place to comply and to fully protect their people.

With an expectation that where social distancing is not possible, the use of face coverings may be required in order to decrease the risk of transmission of infection from the wearer to others, Arco, the UK's leading safety company, has secured a supply of 40m Type II masks and 90m Type IIR masks. These are currently being delivered to its 400,000sqft National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Hull. A series of 20 trucks have been arriving in a carefully timed schedule to deliver the first 19m masks and work has begun inside the newly extended building to get orders out of the door, to customers across the country as quickly as possible.

With a deep understanding of workplace safety and expertise in product sourcing and advising on product selection, Arco, the UK's leading safety company has been a key supplier to the NHS, ambulance services, local authorities and other public health bodies in the UK and has made a significant contribution to support the UK supply chain for critical equipment. Now the company has developed a set of expert advice sheets to ensure a safe return to the workplace. The 'toolkit' is aligned with Government advice and covers topics such as Managing Risk, Cleaning the Workplace, Working Safely During Coronavirus and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - what to wear and how to use it.

It's important that the right type of respiratory protection is specified for the job, to ensure that the higher levels of protective equipment are issued only where necessary and critical supplies are not diverted from where they are needed most. Arco's freely available guidance offers expert advice on when to specify a respirator or a mask, selecting the right Type II mask, plus a set of guides and FAQs for end users.

Arco is deeply concerned about the quantity of non-compliant products that are now on the UK market, many of which have fake test certification and do not meet UK standards. These products could potentially put workers at risk, rather than protect them. With its own independently accredited product testing lab on site, Arco is uniquely positioned to advise on fake and counterfeit products that are finding their way into the marketplace. The company is using its deep technical knowledge on product quality and conformity to assist the OPSS and Trading Standards in their effort to keep non-compliant products out of the supply chain.

David Evison, Arco's Managing Director said:

"Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been working with our customers in the NHS, ambulance services, local authorities, care homes and other frontline services to provide a range of PPE and other products to the staff who have been working tirelessly to help others in their fight against the disease. As lockdown eases and businesses get back up and running and we restart the economy, our experts are best placed to help business owners get their workplace ready and keep it safe for their people when they return. We will play our role in making work a safe place for everyone and in ensuring that the products we supply are the right ones for the job and are fully compliant".