Lennox, Ireland’s longest established supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) and laboratory safety equipment, has warned of the risk of ineffectual PPE, as employers prepare resources for employees returning to the workplace.  

Leslie Brett, Managing Director of Lennox, said: “Many may not be aware of the rigorous standards to assure customers of the quality of PPE and now, more than ever, it is vital that those standards are met. At the moment, we are consistently finding and rejecting PPE products that do not reach those standards – from misleading or missing labels on products such as hand sanitiser to inadequately-certified masks.

“We have been supplying PPE to the private and public sectors for almost 100 years. Our PPE is in strict compliance with European Quality Standards and government guidance and is used by frontline health workers, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, An Garda Siochána and the Department of Justice and Equality, among others.”

In response to demand from corporate customers planning their employees’ return to work, Lennox has launched its Safe at Work employee PPE kits and the company is mobilised to produce up to 100,000 kits per week. Over the last two years, Lennox has made an investment of approximately €2,000,000 in increasing its warehousing, output capacity and logistics fleet. The company is now best placed to deliver a reliable national supply of properly-vetted quality PPE to Irish businesses. The company has also committed to donating ten customised kits for every 200 ordered to the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People until 1^st August 2020. 

Leslie added: “As we prepare for the easing of lockdown restrictions, it is more important than ever that PPE is vetted properly by those with the correct experience and technical knowledge – those who know what background documentation to look for and what raw materials should be used. We are working closely with employers to make sure they are sourcing from trusted suppliers and will advise on the training of employees about correct usage.” 

Commenting on the company’s Safe at Work kits, Leslie said: “Our Quality, Scientific, Technical and Procurement teams have been hard at work, leveraging our Irish and international supply chain and our years of experience to source the highest quality of PPE for our customers. 

“To ensure effectiveness, easy-to-follow instructions on handwashing and the correct use of masks and gloves will be shared both in the kits and across our digital platforms. We also have a dedicated customer care line so that we can provide businesses with a tailored assessment and recommend the appropriate PPE for their specific requirements. Ultimately, we want Irish businesses to have the correct toolkits in place so that Ireland can get safely back to work.”

The customisable kits include hand sanitiser, disposable and reusable masks, gloves, hand cream, and computer screen wipes. More details can be found here: www.lennox.ie/safeatwork