The Dos and Don'ts of Purchasing PPE

The Dos and Don'ts of Purchasing PPE

With all of the sudden changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought, nothing has been more impactful to our industry than the proliferation of PPE. At Pop!, we’ve been hearing from our distributor partners that there is a lot of bad PPE information (and product) out in the market. So we’ve compiled a list of critical Dos and Don’ts below to help guide you through the purchasing process. Don’t forget to click through to read the full text for each tip.

DO: Verify with your supplier that their PPE products have undergone and passed safety and compliance testing.
This is the most important thing you can do to ensure that the products you’re purchasing are safe and legitimate.  Be sure to ask for full Safety and Compliance reports before you buy (and be wary of suppliers who refuse to show it). 

DON’T: Purchase PPE products with the FDA logo on the packaging — it’s illegal and could make you or your client liable in the future.
It’s true that many of the PPE products on the market are produced in FDA-registered factories and have been approved for sale as PPE. But it’s actually illegal to use the FDA logo on packaging or marketing materials — even if the product is FDA compliant.

DO: Work with suppliers you trust.
The surge in demand for PPE products has brought with it a surge of counterfeit PPE products and suppliers looking to make a quick (and often illegitimate) deal. Working with trustworthy suppliers can minimize your risk of getting caught up with shady dealers and counterfeit sellers. 

DON’T: Get tricked by wording.
Labeling a 3-Ply Mask that hasn’t been approved for medical use as a “surgical mask” is illegal and, more importantly, dangerous. Suppliers offering mislabeled products, even by accident, haven’t done their research and could put you, your clients, and the end users at risk of liability. 

DO: Stay informed!
The promo industry has rallied together to provide accurate and up-to-date information about PPE, FDA regulations, and spotting scam suppliers. Subscribe to industry newsletters and magazines like PromoMarketing to get an inside scoop on how the counterfeit PPE problem is developing and what you can do to avoid it. 

DON’T: Be afraid to ask questions.
We’re living in an unprecedented and uncertain time — everyone has questions, and nathan+philip is here to answer them. We pride ourselves on being a trusted resource for accurate and transparent information for our customers.

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