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Most people in Australia are unaware of the process and importance of Certification vs Compliance; therefore, misconceptions occur, and consumers become exposed to the risk of workplace injury.
The most common misconception is when gloves show markings such as the ‘CE’ mark, a mechanical symbol such as ‘EN 388:2016 4542F’ or ‘AS/NZS 2161.3:2020’ on the product or state in their literature “Compliant to European Standards” or “meets European Standards”, to claim the glove is standards approved. However, this is NOT the same as being certified.
So what is Certification? How does this differ from Compliance?
A ‘Certified’ product to the relevant Australian Standards means that it is independently verified, and its mechanical scores are validated by an independent notifying body, such as BSI Benchmark or SAI Global.
Certification is an ongoing process that ensures the manufacturing process and facilities, certificates, and the product itself are audited and scrutinised so that all product performance claims are consistently accurate. To certify a product, it needs to be tested and examined by the independent third-party notifying body. Asking a trusted and independent notifying body to certify a product provides the distributor, employer and wearer complete peace of mind that the product will perform as expected.
Once a product has been certified, the notifying body allows the manufacturer to use its unique certification logo, such as the BSI Benchmark logo. A product bearing this mark indicates that BSI has completed rigorous audits of its manufacture and production. It also symbolises that the product is certified to the relevant Australian/New Zealand Standard. Please note that there is no requirement to undertake any of these independent reviews for gloves that are ‘Compliant only’.
Unknown to most people, gloves in Australia are almost always sold as compliant with Australian or European Standards. They may show the ‘CE’ mark, a mechanical score, and a symbol like ‘EN 388:2016 4542F’. They may state in their literature ‘Compliant to European Standards’ or ‘meets European Standards’. They may also print AS/NZS 2161.3:2020 on the glove to claim the glove is standards approved. This is NOT the same as being certified to any standard. Unfortunately, compliant gloves with these markings require no proof or validation from the glove manufacturer that they are accurate. Certification is the only way to guarantee a glove will perform as expected.
Graphex® is not just a Standard Glove.
In 2015, Private Brands embarked on a certification program with the Notified Body BSI Australia to ensure all industrial safety gloves were certified with the relevant Australian and New Zealand standards under license by BSI Australia through their JAS-ANZ accreditation.
Graphex® has certified its entire range of cut resistant gloves to Australian Standards AS/NZS 2161.2:2020, AS/NZS 2161.3:2020, and AS/NZS 2161.4:1999 and European Standards EN ISO 21420:2020, EN 388:2016 and EN 407:2020.