Paradise finds savings by splitting the tender for protective gear

By Mark Squibb / June 16, 2023

The Town of Paradise has inked a new contract with not one, but two suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE).

“Employees exposed to hazardous materials, conditions, or environments during the course of employment must be provided with appropriate personal protective equipment,” said councillor Patrick Martin during last week’s meeting. “The current supply agreement for PPE has expired and a new tender must be awarded.”

He went on to explain the Town recently invited tenders for the supply and delivery of PPE, and that three companies expressed interest: Valiant Canada, Rock Safety Industrial, and Spartan Industrial.

Martin said that samples of equipment were provided, and the tender was evaluated based on a 60 percent price and 40 percent product quality ratio.

Furthermore, the tender was broken down into four categories (Work Boots, Personal Protective Equipment, Coveralls and Rain Suits, and Clothing and Jackets) and the Town awarded contracts based on prices provided within those individual categories.

“We actually broke the contract down into sections this time to try and get better pricing on the contract, and actually it came in this year at $20,000 less than 2021’s purchase, so good job to staff,” said Martin.

For that reason, Rock Safety will be providing workers with work boots, while Valiant Canada will be supplying the remainder of the Town’s PPE for the 2023-2024 season.

All told, the town will be paying $69,976, HST included, for the equipment.