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Championing Local Manufacturing In Workplace Safety Solutions

BBF Safety Group is an integrated workplace safety solutions provider that helps customers create safe working environments.  BBF Safety was formed on the basis of championing local manufacturing, procurement and SMME development – an objective more relevant now to get the South African economy back on its feet than possibly any other time in this country’s history.

 

How it Began

In 2014, four of South Africa’s largest safety footwear manufacturers joined forces to create BBF Safety Group (Pty) Ltd. The merger created the largest safety footwear manufacturer in Africa.

In 2017, BBF Safety Group transitioned from being a leading safety footwear manufacturer to an integrated workplace safety solutions provider. Today, we offer a full portfolio of head-to-toe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and SHEQ services including training.

We are a trusted partner to thousands of businesses across a diverse range of industries, helping to keep millions of people safe at work every day.

We are a proudly South African business, employing more than 1,200 people at four ISO:9001 accredited manufacturing facilities across the country.

 

Our Portfolio

Our safety footwear portfolio incorporates renowned brands such as Lemaitre, Frams, Bronx Safety and South Africa’s market-leading Bova range.  Sisi has emerged as a specialist female safety wear brand designed for women with the understanding that improved fit and comfort improves productivity. Wayne gumboots has been manufacturing gumboots in South Africa since 1940 - no other manufacturer on the continent has supplied more industrial and safety gumboots into the African market.

 

The Bova and Sisi brands have extended their offerings into workwear and Fall Arrest systems with further developments into specialized thermal protection wear, while the Nikki brand of hard hats and face masks is well-established in the head and respiratory protection categories. As an entity BBF is able to supply solutions throughout the various PPE categories, actively working to industrialise and localize ranges as far as possible.

 

Our extensive PPE product portfolio is bolstered by a range of expert SHEQ services under BBF SHEQ Services incorporating training, consulting, auditing and certification. The BBF SHEQ Services’ training portfolio is administered by Advantage ACT, a HWSETA (Health and Welfare SETA) and ISO 9001 accredited training service provider with over 25 years of SHEQ training experience and courses that can be delivered as online, classroom based or even customised on-site training options. 

 

Supporting local and creating jobs

For many years, BBF Safety Group’s mission has been to ensure economic empowerment, transformation and development in South Africa, and we have forged numerous mutually beneficial partnerships with local SMMEs to create a network of highly committed, professional and efficient local suppliers and distributors.

“Protecting and creating employment is imperative – we operate from a base of looking after our own communities. If we do not change our consumer buying habits now in line with locally manufactured products, we will all have some role to play in the unemployment figures. Now, more than ever, we have to put our people first.” says Silvio Ceriani – Group CEO, BBF Safety Group.

Most recently, during the early stages of COVID-19 when demand for FFP2 face masks started to escalate, BBF experienced a shortage on certain imported components required for FFP2 mask production, despite the majority of materials already being sourced locally.  BBF’s development team worked with South African based companies who were able to adapt their production to meet the specifications required for the affected components.  The outcome is that the Nikki FFP2 masks can now be 100% locally sourced and manufactured.

“We are proud of our team who worked with other South African companies to deliver on solutions that benefit us all. It is testimony to the talent within our country and the potential we have to source and innovate locally, defending and, if supported, creating local jobs. It’s a great accomplishment,” adds Silvio Ceriani.

In the coming weeks and months, we can expect to see more innovation in localisation from companies that understand we must work together to give the economy the boost it so desperately needs.

BBF Safety Group will continue to strive to service the safety needs of industries both domestically and abroad, while playing our part to drive the South African economy; through both our own manufacturing and services, as well as the suppliers and business partners with whom we work.

Find out more about our workplace safety solutions.

 

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BBF Safety Group will continue to strive to service the safety needs