Builders’ merchants fined for selling sub-standard safety hats

Builders’ merchants, Jewson Ltd, has been fined £14,000 for supplying hard hats that failed to meet the relevant safety standards.

 

In January 2012, Northamptonshire County Council’s trading standards officers arranged for safety hats to be tested against the requirements of the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002, as part of a proactive survey.

 

This included testing a Jewson Safety Helmet, which was purchased from the Jewson Premises in Pilot Road, Corby. When tested, the helmet did not comply with the shock absorption test in EN397. A further six helmets were purchased from another Jewson’s branch at St James Mill road, Northampton, of which three failed the same test. 

 

The helmets state: “complies with: EN397” and had been imported from China by the company. Jewson was only able to produce a test certificate from 2001, despite selling over 63,000 of them over an 11-year period.

 

Councillor Andre Gonzalez de Savage, county council cabinet member for Strategic Infrastructure, Economic Growth and Public Protection, said: “It is impossible for users to detect this kind of issue for themselves and therefore it is vital that our officers proactively monitor the safety of products on sale. All manufacturers and importers need to carry out regular testing to ensure their products meet safety standards.”

 

Northampton Magistrates’ Court fined Jewson Ltd £2,500 on each of four offences and £4,000 for the latter offence, while costs of £7,500 were awarded to trading standards.

 

A spokesperson for Jewson’s parent company, Saint-Gobain, said: “We can confirm that Jewson has appeared in court over personal protective equipment which did not comply with trading standards’ tests.

 

These products have been removed from all Jewson branches with immediate effect. Jewson takes all matters of quality very seriously, and as such conducted its own investigation and report into the sale of these products.

 

“Whilst it concluded that the safety of the user was not compromised, it did confirm that the products did not conform to shock absorption safety standards or Jewson’s high standards. 

 

“Jewson apologises for this breach and will continue to work with and maintain its excellent relationship with the Coventry Trading Standards to ensure this is an isolated incident. Jewson accepts the decision of the Magistrates’ Court and has already taken measures to ensure that this regrettable incident does not reoccur.”