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ABOUT US

What You Want, When You Want It…

Protec Direct are one of the largest suppliers of PPE & Workwear in the UK. Centrally based in the West Midlands, our 55,000ft² National Distribution Centre is ideally located to serve you, wherever you are in the country. Our huge stocks and regular deliveries ensure that you get what you want when you want it.


Quality Assurance…

We continually check the quality of products from our leading manufacturers and suppliers to ensure that quality standards are maintained. Protec Direct are accredited to Quality Management BS EN ISO 9001:2008, Environmental Management Systems ISO 14001 and Quality Management Systems OHSAS 18001. we are also members of The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and SATRA.


A Total Solution…

Whatever industry our customers operate in, from heavy industrial to light catering, from professional construction to laboratory work, we are able to offer a comprehensive range of products to satisfy the most demanding performance criteria. We also offer an in-house badging service, enabling you to personalise your PPE and workwear with your choice of logo.


Sustainability...

We're committed to our efforts to Go Green, developing sustainable business practices and working with other environmentally conscious companies


Our Heritage...


1868
 James North & Sons established in the UK as a manufacturer of leather fashion gloves and military gloves based in Hyde, Cheshire.

 

1947
 James North, one of the leading glove manufacturers discovered and produced the first PVC glove.

 

1972
 Siebe Plc. Acquired James North & Sons.

 

1977
 James North & Sons introduce a selling arm called Northide to sell a full range of PPE to the market.

 

1983
 Northide changed its name to Northide Chadwick and added engineering products to their range of PPE.

 

1986
 Northide Chadwick changed direction by reverting back to being a PPE specialist and changed its name to Siebe Protec.

 

1990-1991
 The Siebe Group sold Siebe Protec to a local businessman. The Siebe part of the name was dropped and became Protec.

 

Protec then became Protec Direct and was the first PPE Company in the field to produce a mailshot catalogue dedicated to PPE at affordable prices.


1998
 Protec Direct’s rate of growth over the 7 year period did not go unnoticed, and in 1998 the business was purchased by SIG Plc.

 

2001
 Protec Direct joined the digital revolution and introduced an online ordering website. The first online PPE supplier to offer next day delivery as standard.


2011
 SIG Plc sells Protec Direct to Bunzl Plc who have continued to improve the product range and service levels to meet challenging customer needs.


2015
 Protec Direct celebrates it's 25th Anniversary! Look out for exclusive promotions, competitions and voucher codes to help celebrate this silver year in style!


COVID-19

Protec Direct is committed to the health, safety and welfare of its employees as its first priority. A risk assessment has been conducted in accordance with Government guidance on working safely during COVID-19, which was issued on 11th May 2020.

 

The risk assessment has been used to identify potential risks related to exposure to, catching and spreading COVID-19 and has identified the measures needed to reduce risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking preventative measures, in order of priority. The risk assessment recommendations have been shared with our employees.

 

Measures in Use to Reduce Risk:

 

  • - Increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning in the workplace
  • - Enabling our employees to work from home where possible
  • - Taking all reasonable steps to maintain a 2 metre distance in the workplace
  • - Keeping the activity time involved in tasks as short as possible
  • - Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible
  • - Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)
  • - Finally, where people must work face-to-face for a sustained period with more than a small group of fixed partners, then we have assessed whether the activity can safely go ahead. In such circumstances, where required, additional Personal Protective Equipment, for instance face coverings have been made available

 

Particular regard has been given to employees who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 and appropriate measures have been taken to minimize their personal risk, including home working and reassignment to tasks and activities that reduce that personal risk to the lowest reasonably practical level.

 

Particular regard has also been given to understanding the circumstances of those with protected characteristics and any measures or adjustments that may been needed to address a different degree of risk or alternative measures that may be required under the Equality Act 2010.

 

The Government guidance related specifically to working safely in Warehouses, Offices & Contact Centres, Vehicles and Retail Branches has been incorporated into the risk assessment.

 

Furthermore, the risk assessment has taken account of Government guidance on travelling to and from work, meetings in the workplace and the presence of visitors and contractors at Protec Direct locations.

 

The risk assessment that has been carried out will be kept under review and revisited periodically, or where Government guidance is amended or updated.