Experts in Safety

Quality and Product Assurance

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The Ethical Approach We are fully committed to having a responsible supply chain and believe that the health and welfare of both our own employees, and those working for our manufacturing partners, is of critical importance. We have a formal ethical policy which we adhere to and this ensures that ethical trade plays a central part in our trading strategy.

Ethical Trading InitiativeIn Autumn 2007, we became the first distributor in our industry to become a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), a ground-breaking alliance of companies, trade unions and voluntary organisations who work in partnership to improve the lives of workers across the globe. Since then we have played an important role and have chaired the General Merchandise Caucus Group which helps to shape ETI policies and priorities.

We fully subscribe to the ETI’s Nine Principles Base Code and have incorporated this internationally recognised code into our own Ethical Policy. This code ensures that principles, such as safe and hygienic working conditions, reasonable working hours and humane treatment, are adhered to. We require all proprietary brand suppliers to commit to our ethical policy statement and regularly conduct rigorous ethical audits to ensure the code of ethics is being observed and where necessary issue action plans to ensure our standards are being met.

The ETI’s Nine Principles Base Code Employment is freely chosen Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected

Working conditions are safe and hygienic Child labour shall not be used Living wages are paid Working hours are not excessive No discrimination is practised Regular employment is provided No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.

Supplier Ethical Data ExchangeIn 2010 we became a member of Sedex, the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, a not for profit membership organisation dedicated to driving improvements in responsible and ethical business practices in global supply chains. Being an ‘AB Member’ allows us to share ethical company information in one place. We can also view our suppliers’ data so that we can ensure they meet the high standards we work to.

BSIF Registered Safety Supplier Scheme Our membership assists buyers of safety-critical products to find quality supply sources. Arco qualifies to be a member of the scheme by adhering to a strict set of criteria that identifies products sold through Arco as ‘genuine and safe’, that they meet the appropriate standards, fully comply with PPE regulations and are appropriately CE marked. The BSIF monitor and regulate members of the scheme by conducting regular audits.

Our customers tell us that product quality is one of the most important factors of our service to them. They want to feel totally assured that the products we supply them will keep their people safe. With our core purpose to keep people safe at work we are committed to delivering high quality, safe and reliable products which meet or exceed our customers’ expectations. To demonstrate this we have invested heavily and are now the first safety distributor to have our own, in house, independently accredited Product Assurance Laboratory. Another Arco first.

Many of our customers tell us that they think of us as the ‘honest broker’ of our industry. When it comes to product quality, we take our responsibility seriously. We recognise that there are non-compliant products in our industry, and we pledge to do everything in our power to make sure that they do not reach our customers. We have introduced an enhanced due diligence programme and where we do identify issues, we deal with them responsibly. As such we’ve undertaken product recalls over the years. This just doesn’t happen often enough in our industry and it’s just not acceptable.

We are now taking the lead, and aim to drive improvements in quality standards across the industry. We will test products to recognised standards, and beyond. Where we think that accepted practices and standards can be improved, we will challenge them and influence change.

This brochure will introduce you to our approach, our independently accredited Product Assurance Laboratory, our processes, and our team, and we hope that you find it both informative and reassuring. More information can be found on our website at www.acro.co.uk/quality. If you would like to know more we would be delighted to invite you for a tour of the facility to see first hand how we aim to make workplaces even safer. Please contact your account manager to arrange a visit.

Thomas Martin Neil Jowsey

We don’t just develop products to meet standards, we aim to exceed them... and if our experience tells us that the standards are not robust enough, then we’ll lobby to improve them.

Thomas Martin

RSO 9115 OH 576769 EM 576767

Arco Product Quality and Assurance

Our mission is to influence industry standards and to develop, source and supply the highest quality products.

The Arco Product Assurance Lab is located at our National Distribution Centre in Hull.

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The Arco Product Assurance Process

Step One

1. Supplier Evaluation ProcessOur supply chain for Arco products is assessed and monitored by an independent notified body, to ensure compliance is maintained to ethical and quality standards.

Manufacturer Quality Audits Arco suppliers’ manufacturing facilities are audited in order to ensure that they comply with our quality requirements before being contracted to produce Arco branded products. All Arco vendors are re-audited regularly to ensure compliance and constant improvement.

Manufacturer Ethical Audits Own brand manufacturing facilities are audited independently against compliance to the ETI’s Nine Principles Base Code. Plans are agreed with regular follow ups to review progress and complete actions.

Proprietary Brand Vendors We only work with vendors who share our quality and ethical standards; we have a rigorous vendor selection policy with strict criteria which each vendor must adhere to.

Step Two

2. Product Development ProcessSo that we can monitor the development of new or re-sourced own brand products, we have in place a three tier sampling procedure throughout the development process which includes inspection of:

Approval samples

Pre-production samples

Production samples

Arco is a global business. At our Asia office in Xiamen, China we have an in-house team who work with colleagues from the UK to carry out inspections against detailed product specifications and Acceptable Quality Limits (AQL) requirements. Similar inspections are also completed at other international and UK sources of supply. Products will also be tested in our in-house laboratory.

Our five step product assurance process provides absolute confidence in our product range. Customers can be assured that Arco products will undergo a thorough sampling, approval and testing regime throughout its life. Our manufacturers undergo quality and ethical audits and we only work with vendors who share our standards.

When it comes to safety there can be no compromise regarding product quality. Arco has built a reputation for providing quality products into a diverse range of industry sectors and are fully committed to raising standards right across the safety distribution industry.Neil Hewitt, Divisional Director Quality and Technical Standards

Step Three

3. Production Verification ProcessPre-shipment inspections are carried out prior to products being despatched from the manufacturer, either by the vendor’s own quality team or by our own representatives. All Arco goods received at our National Distribution Centre and our Clothing Centre undergo Goods Receipt Conformity Testing and are inspected and tested to verify there has been no deterioration of product quality during shipment and to ensure conformity to specification.

Step Four

4. Performance Testing ProcessAll products meet the relevant European Standards and to ensure the documentation is in place and recorded, we undertake an intensive regime of Due Diligence Conformity Testing throughout the year. Arco products are tested in our Satra Accredited Product Assurance laboratory or by an independent ISO 17025 approved laboratory. If a product does not meet the required standards then we ensure that the batch is quarantined and products do not reach customers.

Step Five

5. Market Performance Evaluation Process Whilst our customer research tells us that our customers are confident in the quality of our products, we do from time to time have customer returns. We have a comprehensive procedure to ensure the analysis of faulty returns from our customers which enables us to work with vendors to continuously improve our product range.

The Five Step Product Assurance Process

Customer

SupplierEvaluationProcess

ProductDevelopment

Process

MarketPerformance

EvaluationProcess

Performance TestingProcess

ProductionVerification

Process

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Our new Product Assurance Team has been recruited for their experience and bring their expertise to:

New product development.

Quality Control testing of new and established products.

Due diligence testing of new and established products.

Product durability and performance testing.

Performance testing and measurement of products that meet and exceed EN standards.

Technical services for customers incorporating bespoke testing specific to their requirements. (E.g. Specific hazards, different surfaces for slip testing, specific relative humidity requirements for anti-static footwear).

Testing of alternative products / non-standard products and control of changes to product specification and supply. Also in the instances customers raise product quality issues, we can react quickly providing feedback to customers and initiating preventative and corrective action.

The significant investment in the design and build of our product assurance lab illustrates Arco’s commitment to quality and

continuous improvement. We are the first and only safety distributor with an in-house testing laboratory and I’m confident we’ll drive a step change in standards throughout the industry.Danny Hobson, Quality and Ethical Manager

The TeamThe Arco Product Assurance LaboratoryAfter researching existing laboratories throughout the UK we have designed and invested in our own facility which we are confident will enable us to deliver exceptional quality and product assurance to our customers. We will use the laboratory to implement a thorough testing regime throughout product development and beyond. It will also compliment our certification and due diligence testing programme. The focus of the laboratory will be on the mechanical testing of safety footwear, gloves and hi-viz clothing in accordance with the relevant EN standards. We aim not simply to test to standards, but to exceed them and challenge them wherever we think that they can be improved.

We plan to continually expand the range of independently accredited test methods across our range of safety products. We have recently expanded the scope of our facility to include limited flame spread testing.

The laboratory has been built to meet the conditioning requirements relevant for a product testing laboratory whilst minimising the impact on the environment. All test equipment has been purchased from leading European manufacturers to ensure that all products can be tested to the relevant standards.

SAP quality management software systemOur new quality management software system is used to monitor product performance and drive continous improvement throughout the supply chain.

To provide absolute confidence we have had our lab independently accredited. This demonstrates that we have a quality management system that covers every aspect of our work. Procedures are documented to ensure our service levels are consistent and that all work is done by trained, competent staff. The lab is overseen and audited regularly.

UKASThe lab has achieved UKAS Accreditation ISO 17025 “General Requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories” an internationally recognised standard. Accredited laboratories undergo a rigorous auditing process based on their ability to test to accredited test methods and standards.

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the sole national accreditation body for the UK. Recognised by government they assess organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services against internationally agreed standards. Accreditation by UKAS demonstrates competence, impartiality and performance capability.

A list of tests accredited under the current schedule is available at www.ukas.co.uk.

SATRAThe lab is also SATRA Accredited. SATRA is responsible for standards of testing covering a range of products including footwear, leather goods, clothing textiles, safety products, PPE and workwear. Many of its test methods become industry standards.

As members we have professional support in ensuring quality, efficiency and fitness for purpose of our products. We also have access to scientists, technologists and manufacturing experts.

State of the Art Facility

The Arco Product Assurance Laboratory

We have invested heavily in our own laboratory which will offer us a far greater opportunity to test during product development and beyond. This will compliment the certification and due diligence testing regime which is already well established.

Expert in SafetyNeil Hewitt - Divisional Director of Quality and Technical Standards

Neil Hewitt is a qualified quality professional and a member of a number of British and European technical committees including the Retro-reflective Equipment Manufacturers Association (REMA), the Hi-Vis Clothing Committee, as well as the PH3/1 General PPE standards review committee and the PH3/7 High Visibility Clothing standards review committee.

Neil joined Arco with experience gained as Global Quality Manager for a leading childcare article manufacturer, responsible for global quality compliance and covering operations in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. Neil represented the company at a European level on several standards committees.

Independent Accreditation

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Testing: hi-vis clothing

Chromaticity and luminance

EN ISO 20471 7.2 Determination of colour

A spectrophotometer is used to test a piece of material from the background fabric of hi visibility clothing for chromaticity (colour) and luminance (brightness).

High-visibility in daytime is achieved by making a garment with a minimum area of fluorescent coloured material. Three fluorescent colours are permitted and defined in the standard; yellow, orange-red, and red. A spectrophotometer will measure chromaticity, co-ordinate values and luminance factor. The defined tolerances for both chromaticity and luminance must be met to permit a material’s use in a high-visibility garment.

Retro-reflection

EN ISO 20471 7.3 Determination of retro-reflective performance

A photo-goniometer is used to test the retro-reflective properties of a material such as the tape which is applied to hi-visibility clothing. We have an agreement to test retro-reflection in conjunction with an independent test house.

High-visibility in low-light or night-time conditions is achieved by a garment having a minimum area of retro-reflective material. This is usually achieved with tapes, at least 50mm in width, which are applied to garments in defined designs. Retro-reflectivity refers to the capability of a material to reflect a source of light back towards its point of origin.

The testing of a material requires that minimum light values are recorded for a material when a tape is viewed under a variety of viewing conditions. The suitability of a retro-reflective material is also evaluated after it has been subjected to a variety of pre-treatments.

The standard EN ISO 20471:2013 requires that some determination should be made of the colour properties of a material after ageing. To this end the standard requires that the colour of a fluorescent material should be assessed after at least five washing cycles, after which the defined values for chromaticity and luminance should be met.

Fabrics and retro-reflective tape are tested after standardised washing to ensure that they retain their specified properties. Our laboratory is equipped with industry recognised equipment for washing and colour stability testing, sourced from a leading manufacturer.

Colourfastness

EN ISO 105 C06:2010 Tests for colour

A Gyrowash is used to evaluate colour fastness to washing, dry cleaning and chlorinated water of textile and leather samples.

Appearance and Shrinkage

EN ISO 6330:2012 Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing

A Wascator, is used to determine shrinkage and appearance after washing.

A Wascator is a standardised European washing machine which has long since established itself as the standard reference washing machine for textile laboratories.

The new Arco Product Assurance laboratory can undertake testing of hi-vis clothing to EN ISO 20471:2013 – ‘High visibility warning clothing for professional use’. All high-visibility clothing products have to incorporate both fluorescent and retro-reflective materials. Performance specifications are given for chromaticity and luminance and also for retro-reflection as well as for the minimum areas and the placement of the materials.

Testing chromaticity and luminance

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Testing: safety footwear

Impact resistance

EN 20344 5.4 Determination of impact resistance

EN 20344 5.16 Determination of impact resistance of a metatarsal protective device

The Impact Tester is used to test a piece of footwear’s capacity to protect the foot against falling objects or ‘drop hazards’. Safety footwear is tested to several different levels of protection. The ability of the protective toe cap to protect the toe area is measured, the weight, velocity and the resulting energy of a falling weight is determined and the resulting compression on plasticine inside the toe area is measured. To test the level of protection that a metatarsal shield can provide to the upper foot and toes, a similar test is undertaken and the impact on a specially made wax foot is measured. The impact tester can also be used to test ankle protection.

Compression resistance / penetration resistance of sole

EN 20344 5.2 Determination of upper/outsole and sole interlayer bond strength

EN 20344 5.5 Determination of compression resistance

EN 20344 5.8 Determination of the dimensional conformity of inserts and the penetration resistance of the sole

EN 20344 6.3 Determination of tear strength of the upper, lining and/or tongue

EN 20344 6.4 Determination of the tensile properties of the upper material

EN 20344 8.2 Determination of tear strength of outsole

A Tensile Tester is used to test both the compression resistance of the toe cap and the penetration resistance of the sole.The compression resistance of footwear reduces the risk of injury to the wearer caused by heavy objects rolling onto the foot. The tensile tester is used to exert of a force of 15kN onto the toe cap and the resulting compression of the plasticine inside in the toe area is measured.

A boot or shoe containing a penetration resistance insert lessens the risk of a sharp object penetrating the sole and injuring the foot. Penetration resistance is tested by forcing a sharp pin into the sole of the footwear, and the measurement taken is the force required to penetrate the sole.

Slip resistance

EN 20344 5.11 Determination of footwear slip resistance

The slip resistance tester simulates conditions encountered during walking when slip is most likely to occur and measures the slip resistance between the sole of the footwear and the floor. A normal walking step begins when the heel touches a surface and ends as the toe is lifted. Slip is most likely to occur shortly after the heel touches and just before toe lift when half body weight is being applied.

The slip resistance tester can be used to test resistance of a piece of footwear on the surfaces specified in the standard of a piece of footwear. Alternatively it can be used to measure how alternative flooring materials affect slip resistance by comparing their performance when a particular shoe is used.

Electrical resistance

EN 20344 5.10 Determination of electrical resistance

The electrical resistance tester measures the electrical resistance of antistatic or conductive footwear. A piece of conditioned footwear is placed on a metal surface and filled with metal spheres and an electrode placed in amongst them. A voltage is applied to the footwear through the metal surface and the resistance measured. Anti-static footwear must dissipate electrical charge to earth safely without causing damage to the wearer’s surroundings which may include highly sensitive machinery and flammable material.

The new Arco Product Assurance laboratory contains a complete set of test equipment to allow tests to be carried out to the requirements of EN 20345. This specifies basic requirements for safety footwear used for general purposes. Additional optional elements may also be tested such as particular hazards on specific flooring. The standard includes tests against mechanical risks, slip resistance, thermal risks and ergonomic behaviour. Testing is carried out in accordance with ISO 20344 the standard specifying methods for testing footwear designed as PPE.

Testing for impact resistance Slip resistance testing

Testing electrical resistance of footwear

Testing compression resistance

The new Arco Product Assurance laboratory contains a set of test equipment to allow tests to be carried out for the mechanical testing of gloves to the requirements of EN 388:2003, Protective gloves against mechanical risks. Tests can be conducted to measure a glove’s resistance to abrasion, blade cuts, tear and puncture. Where necessary it is possible to measure cut resistance beyond cut level 5 to International ISO Standard ISO 13997.

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Testing: safety footwear Testing: gloves

Water Resistance

EN 20345 5.15.2 Determination of resistance to water for whole footwear

The dynamic water penetration tester measures the resistance of footwear to water ingress. It tests the whole shoe and all components including materials, construction, seams and sole bond, protective coatings applied to footwear can also be tested.

The tester flexes two independent pieces of footwear after lowering them in water contained in separate tanks, it simulates the trough test where the wearer walks in water. A count of how many times the piece of footwear will be flexed is programmed into the equipment.

EN 388:2003 Protective gloves against mechanical risks.

This standard is intended to assess a glove’s ability to protect against mechanical hazards. It includes a series of four tests which measure the glove’s resistance to abrasion, cut, tear and puncture. Mechanical Hazards are associated with the handling of rough or sharp objects which could abrade, cut or pierce the skin, such as glass, thin metal sheet and masonry blocks.

Resistance to Abrasion

EN 388 6.1 Resistance to abrasion

The Martindale Abrasion Tester is used to test the abrasion resistance of all types of material used for protective gloves in accordance with EN 388.

It is the internationally–accepted test equipment for wear of fabrics, and it is also used for determining the susceptibility of fabrics to pilling.

Samples are cut from the palms of gloves and are subjected to rubbing against glass paper until a sample wears and a hole appears. The performance of the sample is measured in the number of abrasion cycles before sample breakthrough.

The Martindale Abrasion Tester can also be used to test the abrasion resistance of rubber gloves and plastic/rubber coated fabrics by substituting the standard abradant with a grit paper.

Testing water resistance of footwear

Testing resistance to abrasion of glove fabric

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Testing: gloves

Blade Cut Resistance

When testing gloves to EN 388 cut resistance is divided into five levels, with level 5 offering the most and level 0 offering the least protection.

The level is based on the ‘Blade Cut Resistance’ Test which uses a rotating blade being drawn along fabric samples until cut-through occurs. However, where fabrics have a high resistance to cutting the blade can blunt during the test process and this can affect the results of the test. In such cases, an alternative method specified in EN ISO 13997:1999 using the ‘Cut Resistance Evaluator’ is recommended. At the product Assurance laboratory we perform both tests.

EN 388 6.2 Blade cut resistance

The Circular Blade Cut Resistance Tester measures the cut resistance of a material in accordance with EN 388 (Clause 6.2).

A test sample is cut from a glove and is clamped in a holder, which is placed onto the machine. A circular blade is gently lowered so that it touches the sample. The blade rotates whilst moving back and forth across the fabric, and when it penetrates the sample, the machine automatically stops.

The number of cycles of the rotating blade is used to determine the cut index, which is a measure of the material’s cut resistance.

Tear and Puncture Resistance

EN 388 Clause 6.3 Tear resistance

EN 388 Clause 6.4 Puncture resistance

The Tensile Tester carries out tests where extension, stretch and compression against distance are required. The tear resistance of a fabric is defined as the force to tear the fabric and puncture resistance as the force required for a needle to break through the material.

ISO 13997

The Cut Resistance Evaluator can be used to measure performance beyond cut level 5 and is therefore suitable for the testing of highly cut resistant materials. A sharp blade is drawn across the sample surface until the material is cut through, and the distance of the blade travel is measured. A range of forces are applied to the blade and the test repeated until the cutting force required to cut through a material in a 20mm blade stroke can be calculated. The resulting force in Newtons gives the cut index.

Testing tear resistance of glove fabric

Testing blade cut resistance to EN388 Testing blade cut resistance to ISO13997

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