Keeping businesses and their workforce safe with high quality PPE and safety equipment

High quality personal protective equipment (PPE)and safety equipment is crucial for businesses across a multitude of industries as it ensures the safety and wellbeing of employees by providing effective protection against workplace hazards. This not only reduces the risk of injuries and illnesses, but also helps in maintaining a healthy workforce, which is essential for productivity and efficiency.
 
However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbated the issue of poor-quality PPE and safety equipment, bringing it into the spotlight. The unprecedented global demand for PPE during the pandemic led to severe shortages, prompting many manufacturers to ramp up production quickly. In the rush to meet demand, some manufacturers compromised on quality, resulting in a flood of substandard products in the marketplace. Additionally, the high demand created opportunities for counterfeiters to exploit the situation, leading to an increase in counterfeit PPE that mimicked genuine products but failed to provide adequate protection.
 
Having worked in the hazardous goods industry for more than 15 years, Viki Hayman witnessed this new challenge firsthand. Many businesses were increasingly struggling to acquire PPE to meet necessary safety requirements which inspired her to launch Hazkit Ltd in 2023. Since then, the Essex-based business has become an invaluable supplier of safety equipment and PPE for clients throughout the UK. We spoke with Viki to find out more.
 
What is your background and what inspired you to launch Hazkit Ltd?
 
I’ve worked in the hazardous goods industry for more than 15 years, from sales, to operations, compliance and health, safety and environmental (HSE). As a customer and then a private consultant, I experienced the high prices of safety equipment and PPE leading people to buy cheaper, inappropriate alternatives from (often) bogus retailers.
 
I launched Hazkit in 2023 with a clear vision: to provide high-quality, certified, safety equipment at affordable prices available to everyone. As a NEBOSH-qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor with a genuine passion for all things hazardous, this approach isn’t just commercial – it’s personal. This dedication has helped us build a strong reputation in a relatively short time, ensuring our ability to exceed customer expectations and offer service superior to longer-established suppliers. Our commitment to genuine, high-quality products, combined with knowledgeable, professional support, has quickly established us as a trusted name in the industry.
 
How do you determine which manufacturers and suppliers you work with?
 
I personally approve every new supplier, manufacturer, and the entire product range we stock. I’m also a firm believer in long-term partnerships. It is a relationship, not just a transaction. The selection process focuses on partnering with globally recognised manufacturers who share the same commitment to quality and credible certification. I have either used most of the products myself or supplied them to my own depots and vehicles in the past.
 
We collaborate with trusted names like Reflexallen for ADR equipment, Fentex and Darcy Spillcare for spill control, and have even recently supported a fuel distributor in designing their own anti-static and fire-retardant uniform, with a great UK manufacturer, Vailos. This careful selection ensures we maintain our reputation for high-quality products at competitive prices.
 
I also proactively source and supply sustainable alternatives to introduce across the range. We partner with manufacturers who share our environmental values, ensuring all our eco-friendly products meet required sustainability certifications. We have found that there is growing demand, with more and more customers looking to make environmentally responsible choices, without compromising on quality or safety standards and I’m keen to support that on every level.
 
What are some of the most popular brands and products you currently offer?
 
Our bestsellers reflect our expertise in specialised safety equipment. The ATEX torches and lighting range for explosive atmospheres, professional spill control solutions, and ADR equipment for dangerous goods transport lead our sales, backed by our extensive industry experience. Our PPE and workwear collections are enhanced by our very popular personalisation service which a feature available across all workwear items. Portwest, ProGARM and Mascot ranges are the bestsellers.
 
A particularly meaningful achievement has been our recent collaboration with LifeVac Europe Ltd and SPAR, supplying choking rescue LifeVac® devices to schools across Cumbernauld, Scotland. As a new parent, supplying these life-saving devices to the masses became a personal passion project, and it's now a standout performer in our first aid range. The impact is remarkable, with LifeVac® devices having saved more than 3,900 lives to date!
 
How do you ensure you remain up to date with the latest products and industry standards?
 
It’s literally my job to keep up with current industry standards and developments and I’ve been doing it for the past 15 years for the largest fuel distributors in the UK. Those connections and insights are key to our rapid success.
 
We regularly review our product range based on manufacturer updates, attending technical exhibitions, getting customer feedback and ever-changing safety requirements, ensuring we maintain our position as a knowledgeable and reliable supplier. Our Google Top Quality Store “Exceptional Status” badge reflects this dedication to excellence.
 
To what extent do PPE requirements differ from one industry to the next?
 
PPE requirements vary significantly across sectors, and our strength lies in understanding these nuances. From chemical-resistant equipment to specialised arc flash protection, we provide targeted solutions for each industry's specific needs. We are often praised for our comprehensive range and ability to offer professional, knowledgeable advice when customers need guidance. Quite often, we have tried and tested the products ourselves so can suggest practical solutions to the problems we know our customers experience day to day.
 
Our friendly, professional approach to helping customers navigate these requirements has been crucial to our success. Whether it's ATEX lighting for explosive atmospheres or specialised workwear, we ensure customers receive expert support in selecting the right protection for their specific applications.
 
Every day is a school day, there is always a new challenge, application or request that we haven’t come across before and thrive on taking the time to research and speak to other experts to make sure we get the right answers for our customer.
 
This year you are looking into expanding internationally. What are the main challenges involved in this process, and will you have to adapt your product offering to meet their regulatory requirements?
 
The success of our mobile app and specialised ranges in the UK has created a scalable platform for international growth. Our approach is methodical, focusing initially on EU markets where safety standards closely align with UK regulations. We will leverage our relationships with existing established manufacturers outside of UK to give us an advantage in understanding these markets.
 
Most products available in our range are already globally successful and in high demand, so the key challenges are more in export and logistics over regulatory differences, but we are confident in overcoming any barriers for a smooth transition and without interrupting service levels for customers.
 
You also offer consultancy and accreditation services. Can you tell us about these and how they can benefit businesses?
 
I wanted Hazkit Ltd to be a 360-degree solution for businesses and all things health, safety and compliance. Then the addition of the accreditation consultancy service gave an exciting opportunity for customers to actually make money with us. I am a qualified health and safety consultant and Lead Auditor in ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 so it was natural progression to introduce these services to the Hazkit customer base.
 
The accreditation division, branded Help With ISO, is set apart from the rest with our guaranteed 100% pass rate, transparent pricing structure, and our unique 'Emergency Parachute Service' for urgent audit preparations. These certifications provide businesses with multiple benefits: enhanced operational efficiency, increased marketplace credibility, access to larger contracts (especially in the public sector), improved global market opportunities, and proven increased profitability. This division actually just won a Commercial Impact award for the measurable growth and profit the services have brought to clients already.
 
Our health and safety consultancy, branded N90 Consultants, brings a ready-made health and safety department for businesses that don’t have a full time and/or internal competent person resource. High hazard area and process safety experience opens up a full range of support from risk assessments to DSEAR management, which has been very popular with the Hazkit client base.
 
Our proven track record includes successful partnerships with businesses of all sizes and across various sectors. We pride ourselves on making these complex systems accessible to businesses of all sizes, particularly SMEs, through our professional, personalised support.
 
Is there anything else you would like to add?
 
We're investing in several key initiatives that are already showing impressive results. We've recently launched our mobile app to enhance customer experience. We're in the process of doubling our product range by January 2026 and have ambitious plans to launch our own PPE range in the future. Watch this space!
 
Keep your workforce safe with high quality PPE and other safety equipment from Hazkit Ltd. For more information on their award-winning products and services, please visit www.hazkit.co.uk.