16 April 2020
BSI has been notified about a large number of false personal protective equipment (PPE) certificates that are currently in circulation.
The certificates that have proven to be false have predominantly related to disposable face masks, however some have included other personal protective equipment including gloves, protective coveralls and eyewear protection. BSI has been alerted to these certificates from various third parties across the globe.
The company has advised that anyone purchasing any form of safety equipment supported by a certificate that appears to be issued by BSI, should verify that the document is genuine using the certificate or license number and the Verifeye database on the BSI website, prior to purchase.
Shahm Barhom, Group Product Certification Director at BSI comments: “We’re urging anyone who is purchasing personal protective equipment to be vigilant – particularly given the increased need we’re seeing at present. If the safety equipment that is being purchased is supported by a certificate that appears to have been issued by BSI, we strongly recommend checking its validity first.”
BSI has notified the relevant regulators and law enforcement agencies about the false certificates that have come to its attention.
Anyone who wants to check the validity can search BSI’s directory for BSI certified clients and valid certificate or license numbers here: https://verifeyedirectory.bsigroup.com/. They’ll need to put in the certificate or license number that they’re making the enquiry about. The validity can also be checked by clicking the link at the bottom of the certificate. Should they not be able to verify the validity of the certificate in these two ways, they can send the digital version of the certificate to the e-mail address product.certification@bsigroup.com.
Whilst BSI can only advise on false certificates that appear to have been issued by BSI, it is likely that other certification/notified bodies and approved test houses will also be affected by this.
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