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Personal Protective Equipment Regulations
Employers have basic duties concerning the provision and use of personal
protective equipment (PPE) at work and this paper, explains what you
need to do to meet the requirements of the Personal Protective Equipment at
Work Regulations 1992 (as amended).
What is PPE?
PPE is defined in the Regulations as ‘all equipment (including clothing
affording protection against the weather) which is intended to be worn or
held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to
his health or safety’, eg safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility
clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses.
Hearing protection and respiratory protective equipment provided for most
work situations are not covered by these Regulations because other
regulations apply to them. However, these items need to be compatible with
any other PPE provided.
Cycle helmets or crash helmets worn by employees on the roads are not
covered by the Regulations. Motorcycle helmets are legally required for
motorcyclists under road traffic legislation.
What do the Regulations require?
The main requirement of the PPE at Work Regulations 1992 is that personal
protective equipment is to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks
to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways.
The Regulations also require that PPE:
n is properly assessed before use to ensure it is suitable;
n is maintained and stored properly;
n is provided with instructions on how to use it safely; and
n is used correctly by employees.
Can I charge for providing PPE?
An employer cannot ask for money from an employee for PPE, whether it is
returnable or not. This includes agency workers if they are legally regarded as your
employees. If employment has been terminated and the employee keeps the PPE
without the employer’s permission, then, as long as it has been made clear in the
contract of employment, the employer may be able to deduct the cost of the
replacement from any wages owed.
Health and Safety
Executive
A short guide to the Personal
Protective Equipment at Work
Regulations 1992
Health and Safety
Executive
Assessing suitable PPE
To allow the right type of PPE to be chosen, carefully consider the different hazards
in the workplace. This will enable you to assess which types of PPE are suitable to
protect against the hazard and for the job to be done.
Ask your supplier for advice on the different types of PPE available and how
suitable they are for different tasks. It may be necessary in a few particularly difficult
cases to obtain advice from specialist sources and from the PPE manufacturer.
Another useful source of information is the British Safety Industry Federation
(www.bsif.co.uk).
Consider the following when assessing whether PPE is suitable:
n Is it appropriate for the risks involved and the conditions at the place where
exposure to the risk may occur? For example, eye protection designed for
providing protection against agricultural pesticides will not offer adequate face
protection for someone using an angle grinder to cut steel or stone.
n Does it prevent or adequately control the risks involved without increasing the
overall level of risk?
n Can it be adjusted to fit the wearer correctly?
n Has the state of health of those who will be wearing it been taken into
account?
n What are the needs of the job and the demands it places on the wearer? For
example, the length of time the PPE needs to be worn, the physical effort
required to do the job and the requirements for visibility and communication.
n If more than one item of PPE is being worn, are they compatible? For example,
does a particular type of respirator make it difficult to get eye protection to fit
properly?
The hazards and types of PPE
Eyes
Hazards: chemical or metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour, radiation.
Options: safety spectacles, goggles, faceshields, visors.
Head
Hazards: impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair
entanglement.
Options: a range of helmets and bump caps.
Breathing
Hazards: dust, vapour, gas, oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
Options: disposable filtering facepiece or respirator, half- or full-face respirators,
air-fed helmets, breathing apparatus.
Protecting the body
Hazards: temperature extremes, adverse weather, chemical or metal splash, spray
from pressure leaks or spray guns, impact or penetration, contaminated dust,
excessive wear or entanglement of own clothing.
Options: conventional or disposable overalls, boiler suits, specialist protective
clothing, eg chain-mail aprons, high-visibility clothing.
Hands and arms
Hazards: abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals,
electric shock, skin infection, disease or contamination.
Options: gloves, gauntlets, mitts, wristcuffs, armlets.
Feet and legs
Hazards: wet, electrostatic build-up, slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects,
metal and chemical splash, abrasion.
Options: safety boots and shoes with protective toe caps and penetration-resistant
mid-sole, gaiters, leggings, spats.
Training
n Make sure anyone using PPE is aware of why it is needed, when it is to be
used, repaired or replaced and its limitations.
n Train and instruct people how to use it properly and make sure they are doing
this.
n Because PPE is the last resort after other methods of protection have been
considered, it is important that users wear it all the time they are exposed to
the risk. Never allow exemptions for those jobs which take ‘just a few minutes’.
n Check regularly that PPE is being used and investigate fully any reasons why it
is not. Safety signs can be useful reminders to wear PPE.
Maintenance
Make sure equipment is:
n well looked after and properly stored when it is not being used, for example in
a dry, clean cupboard, or in the case of smaller items, such as eye protection,
in a box or case;
n kept clean and in good repair - follow the manufacturer’s maintenance
schedule (including recommended replacement periods and shelf lives). Simple
maintenance can be carried out by the trained wearer, but more intricate
repairs should only be done by specialists.
Make sure suitable replacement PPE is always readily available.
CE marking
Ensure any PPE you buy is ‘CE’ marked and complies with the requirements of the
Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002. The CE marking signifies that the
PPE satisfies certain basic safety requirements and in some cases will have been
tested and certified by an independent body.
Other regulations
The PPE at Work Regulations do not apply where the following six sets of
regulations require the provision and use of PPE against these hazards. For
example, gloves used to prevent dangerous chemicals penetrating the skin would
be covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
(as amended). The regulations are:
n The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002.
n The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999.
n The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
n The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as
amended).
n The Noise at Work Regulations 1989.
n The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989.
Key points to remember
Are there ways (other than PPE) in which the risk can be adequately controlled,
eg engineering controls? If not, check that:
n PPE is provided;
n it offers adequate protection for its intended use;
n those using it are adequately trained in its safe use;
n it is properly maintained and any defects are reported;
n it is returned to its proper storage after use.
Further reading
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. Guidance on
Regulations L25 HSE Books 2005 ISBN 0 7176 6139 3
COSHH a brief guide to the Regulations: What you need to know about the
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) Leaflet
INDG136(rev3) HSE Books 2005 (single copy free or priced packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 2982 1)
Lead and you: A guide to working safely with lead Leaflet INDG305(rev1)
HSE Books 1998 (single copy free or priced packs of 15 ISBN 0 7176 1523 5)
Noise at work: Advice for employers Leaflet INDG362 HSE Books 2002 (single
copy free or priced packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 2539 7)
Selecting protective gloves for work with chemicals: Guidance for employers and
health and safety specialists Leaflet INDG330 HSE Books 2000 (single copy free or
priced packs of 15 ISBN 0 7176 1827 7)
Selection of suitable respiratory protective equipment for work with asbestos
Leaflet INDG288(rev1) HSE Books 2003 (single copy free or priced packs of 5
ISBN 0 7176 2220 7)
Further information
HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from HSE Books,
PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995
Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk (HSE priced publications are also available from
bookshops and free leaflets can be downloaded from HSE’s website:
www.hse.gov.uk.)
For information about health and safety ring HSE’s Infoline Tel: 0845 345 0055
Fax: 0845 408 9566 e-mail: hseinformationservices@natbrit.com or write to
This paper contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory
but which you may find helpful in considering what you need to do.
This page was created on: 10/05/2007
Last modified: 10/05/2007
