News and Updates

Safety Experts Unite to Maximise Worker Hand Care, with Minimum Impact on the Environment

Arco is working closely with hand protection specialist Traffi to provide Arco customers with the world's first carbon neutral safety glove range*. As signatories of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP), Arco is committed to cutting carbon, water and waste across its product ranges. Traffi's new Life Extending Technology (LXT) Carbon Neutral collection marks a new environmental standard for safety gloves and progresses Arco's ongoing journey towards a sustainable future.

The LXT range ensures Arco customers can access a high-quality glove that does not sacrifice the environment's needs or worker hand health. To reach net-zero, Traffi worked tirelessly with its glove production partner to calculate the total greenhouse gases emitted from the production of its LXT glove range. The process, supported by The Carbon Consulting Company and The Sustainable Future Group, resulted in a final figure that enabled Traffi to select a globally recognised carbon reduction project to compensate for its emissions. Through this initiative, Traffi reduced its carbon footprint for the LXT range to net-zero*.

Gloves are a high volume and high wastage product. However, Traffi's LXT life extending technology means the LXT cut protection range of gloves last longer. LXT gloves are certified washable for three washes and tested to EN388 2016 after being laundered. This results in lower daily costs, helping businesses to save money and reduce waste.

The alliance between Arco and Traffi enhances Arco's social values and principles of sustainable development and its commitment to being an environmentally responsible business. In addition to its partnership with Traffi, Arco has embedded sustainability into its day-to-day operational activity, including its National Distribution Centre (NDC), retail stores, offices and vehicle fleet. Arco's objective is to go beyond the minimum requirements and help its customers and suppliers achieve their sustainability pledges. Under its Product Stewardship process, Arco takes responsibility for minimising a product's environmental impact throughout its life cycle. Arco developed its Responsible Processes in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enabling the safety expert to ensure its initiatives effectively address global challenges.

Danny Hobson, Head of Ethics and Sustainability at Arco, says:

"Our core purpose is to keep people safe. As a fifth-generation, family-owned business, showing respect for people and regard for the planet means future generations will have the opportunity to stay safe and protected too. Although we're early in our greener journey, we're committed to the goal. In helping to bring great initiatives like Traffi's to the market, we're paving the way for other manufacturers to follow suit as, together, we work to make our planet that little bit greener."

Adrian James, Director of Traffi, says:

"At Traffi, it is our duty to continuously innovate and help our customer make a difference. Most glove users have little knowledge of the significant carbon footprint in manufacturing gloves, as is the case across the wider PPE portfolio. We're here to share our insights and enable customers to make better informed decisions in both, selecting the best products for keeping hands safe, but also acting responsibly in reducing carbon footprint."

Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne, CEO of The Carbon Consultancy Company, says:

"Measuring the "cradle to gate" emission of the LXT gloves and the organisational emission of the Traffi itself was a challenging exercise. The project took many months and required engagements at all levels of the supply chain. CCC is proud to work with clients such as Traffi that have demonstrated their commitment to the environment in a tangible way. Measuring and compensating for their greenhouse gas emissions is an intrinsic part of their business model. Our planet needs more of such responsible business owners."

*Traffi LX Carbon Neutral gloves have been certified in accordance with (PAS)2050, ISO 14067:2018 and ISO 14064-3.

• Calls on Government to improve regulation and guidance for procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• A robust PPE stockpile should be created to mitigate supply chain risk
• The Government should develop the ability to source additional PPE at scale and improve domestic production of PPE

The UK Government's National Risk Register has assessed another pandemic as the most significant risk to the UK's safety, security and prosperity, with a 5 COVID-19 25% possibility of another pandemic striking over the next five years. Responding to the Government enquiry into emerging diseases, Arco, the UK's leading provider of safety products and services has published a whitepaper: Pandemic Preparedness and Business Continuity: Preparing effectively for emerging diseases with a set of recommendations to build resilience for the future.

Arco has been at the forefront of responding to global health emergencies and crises such as Foot and Mouth Disease, swine and Ebola, COVID-19 and most recently, avian flu.

Thomas Martin, Arco Chairman said:

"As the UK's leading safety expert, Arco has a right and responsibility to share our experiences and make recommendations for future preparedness. We've been vocal about improving pandemic preparedness for some time now, and we felt a responsibility to share our experiences and expertise to improve the UK's response to emerging disease threats."

The company is now urging the Government to act and enhance preparedness for future PPE challenges posed by the spread of new diseases with pandemic potential.

The six key areas with recommendations are:

1. Improve national guidance and procurement of PPE.
2. Develop national healthcare guidelines for recommended methods and frequency of face fit testing for respiratory protection, and training of testers.
3. Ensure guidance and practical training is provided for all PPE.
4. All PPE should be sourced from an ethical supply chain.
5. Create a transparent and robust PPE stockpile.
6. Establish a resilient supply chain ensuring continuity of manufacture and supply of PPE.

Guy Bruce, CEO of Arco, said:

"This whitepaper establishes our experience in responding to global crises and includes our evidence and recommendations for the future.

"These focus on the key areas of pandemic planning, guidance on respiratory face fit testing, PPE compliance, ethical sourcing, PPE stockpiling and building a resilient supply chain. Whilst the recommendations are made to government, they include actions that are relevant to all industry to ensure resilience and business continuity, should another pandemic occur. We urge the Government, Healthcare leaders, critical infrastructure and industries plus businesses generally to act on our recommendations to ensure we can all be better prepared for any future emergencies and help make our world a safer place."

To read the full paper, visit: https://www.arco.co.uk/shaping-the-safety-agenda/pandemic-preparedness

As we start the new year, the most recent statistics from the Health and Safety Executive serve as a stark reminder that Health and Safety initiatives must remain a priority for businesses in 2024, as we see an increase in workplace fatalities, the number of working days lost and the annual cost of work-related ill health and injury.

At Arco, we believe everyone has a fundamental right to return home from work each day safe and well.

Compared to pre-pandemic levels, more workers are suffering from work-related ill health and long-term health conditions are costing lives and resources. Despite this, there has been a reduction in workers experiencing non-fatal injuries and significantly fewer working days have been lost when compared to the 2019/20. As we return to the working practices of pre-COVID, safety must reemerge as the utmost priority for businesses as we work towards eradicating workplace fatalities and reducing injuries to a minimum.

With nearly 140 years of safety expertise, businesses can seek professional training and expert advice from Arco to keep their business and their people safe.

We are delighted to announce that Arco has been awarded the prestigious 'Recycled Product of the Year Award' at the 2023 MRW National Recycling Awards, recognising the innovative 'Arco Responsible Hi-Vis' clothing range created to tackle excessive waste in a niche and difficult to recycle segment of the clothing industry.

The 'Recycled Product of the Year' category required the product entered to exemplify the best of sustainability that must have been designed with careful consideration of resources and incorporate recycled content.

Through a partnership with polyester recycling company, Stuff4Life, Arco's Responsible Hi-Vis garments are designed to last longer, made from certified recycled and responsibly-sourced materials, and developed with end of life in mind, focusing on the recyclability of materials.

Once a garment comes to the end of its life, it can be recycled using Stuff4Life's patent-pending chemical recycling solution that’s currently in development, with the recovered materials from the recycling process becoming valuable raw materials that can be transformed back into new polyester yarn for garment production over and over again.

Dalvir Sarkaria, Product and Procurement Manager said:

"We are delighted to have been awarded 'Recycled Product of the Year' for this range. This is an incredible achievement for Arco under our own brand and further enhances our focus on working towards a circular approach to product development."

Jim Harbidge, Head of Sustainability at Arco said:

"This award confirms our view of a future where the value of textiles is preserved through the process we have developed. As we and our customers begin to move away from thinking about these items as 'disposable', we have been able to incorporate other aspects of design to offer comfort, durability, recycling ease and of course lower life-time costs. Our aim is to make the most sustainable items also the lowest cost choice. Our new range is already available to customers who are working with arco on their journey to circularity."

John Twitchen, Co-Founder of Stuff4Life said:

"This award is the result of all the hard work and commitment Arco has made in developing these exceptionally well-designed products. Nearly 90 per cent of the 33 million workwear items provided to workers annually currently end up in landfill1 or are incinerated but this workwear range is fit for the future, a future where materials have multiple usages and longer lifecycles.

We're pleased to have played a role in challenging conventions and championing change, and of course we look forward to recycling these fantastic products back into new stuff when they have served their purpose."

Our new store in Belfast is now open and is packed with the best gear. Come and join the celebrations this week to benefit from:

• Unmissable exclusive offers from brands such as MASCOT, Snickers, DeWALT, Berghaus
• FREE Berghaus bag for first 100 customers to make a purchase
• Meet Experts in Safety: Our Hose and Vending experts are on hand offering help and advice, plus experts from brands you know and trust from Berghaus, Snickers and MASCOT
• On-Site Face Fit Testing: Face-fit testers are on-site throughout the opening week and 30-minute appointments can be booked for just £50 ex VAT with a FREE Sundstrom SR 900 Half-Face Respirator Mask with P3 Filer Kit upon completion. Simply give the store a call to book a slot that's convenient for you.
• PLUS a Charity Prize Draw and food and refreshments throughout the launch day.

The new Safety Store has been enhanced to better serve the community, offering 2,000 products in stock to choose from and over 22,000 additional products available through a click and collect service.

The store stocks a range of personal protective equipment and workwear from the biggest and most trusted brands like TROJAN, MASCOT, Snickers, DeWALT, Berghaus, with exclusive discount prices throughout the opening week.

Arco inventory managed solutions experts will be on site all week to discuss vending machine and asset locker solutions, along with Arco’s hose and reels expert on the 20th and 21st of November. Product experts from Berghaus, Snickers and Uvex will also be available on site on opening day to support customers with advice on selecting the right products for their needs.

The new store features customer seminar rooms for bespoke training sessions and provides accredited Fit2Fit Face Fit testing enabling customers to test their face masks to ensure they provide the necessary respiratory protection. Throughout the opening week, customers can call ahead and book a 30-minute Face Fit Test appointment for £50 ex VAT with a free Sundstrom SR900 Half-Face Respirator Mask and P3 Filter Kit worth £47 inc VAT given upon completion.

You can find the Belfast store: 10 Mayfield Link, Newtownabbey, BT36 4AW, five minutes away from its previous location on Trench Road.

To find your nearest Arco store, click here.