subject: A Basic Guide To Personal Protective Equipment Regulations In The UK [print this page] A Basic Guide To Personal Protective Equipment Regulations In The UK
In the UK the regulations and requirements relating to personal protective equipment are extensive, and as the development of new PPE equipment solutions provides greater opportunities to minimise risk it is essential for employers to have a full understanding of what is, and what is not, included as part of the current regulations.
Although manufacturing methods, materials and the understanding of risk analysis has introduced an ever wider range of personal protective equipment solutions into the workplace, the document which is necessary to understand is the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, although revisions and amendments have been applied as and when deemed necessary. The most recent version currently available is the 2005 revision.
Although health and safety at work places much of the responsibility on the employee, it is the employer who bears almost the entire responsibility as far as PPE equipment is concerned, including its selection, purchasing, availability, training, monitoring and replacing.
But what is personal protective equipment, at least as far as the PPE at Work Regulations are concerned? The short definition provided simply states that personal protective equipment includes any type of equipment, including but not limited to clothing, which offers protection against one or more risks to the health or safety of the employee.
Typically we tend to think of personal protective equipment as being clothing in the main, although it is important not to assume that this is all it relates to. Certainly items such as safety helmets, eye protection, hi-viz (high visibility) clothing such as fluorescent jackets or tabards, work boots, safety gloves and safety harnesses are all typical examples of the sort of item referred to as PPE equipment.
However, surprisingly hearing protection (such as ear plugs or ear defenders) are not covered by the PPE Equipment Regulations. Similarly, respiratory protective equipment isn't covered. The reason is simply that these items are covered by different regulations which offer specific guidelines as to their use and availability.
Another area not covered by the PPE Equipment Regulations at Work (1992) is cycle helmets or crash helmets when on public roads. Clearly these are required by law, and so covered by separate legislation.
At its heart the 1992 regulations effectively state that suitable PPE equipment should be made available to employees in any situation where one or more risks have been identified. However, this apparently simple statement covers a multitude of issues.
First of all, it isn't the case that PPE products should be made available, but suitable PPE equipment. This means that the risk or risks must be clearly identified and analysed, and the most appropriate form of clothing or protection sought. It's also important to make sure that as well as being suitable to the risk, it should be suitable for the environment, and suitable for the individual wearing the product. So a thick, padded fluorescent suit may not be suitable for a worker operating outside in the heat of the summer, and clothing which is too small or too baggy may cause more risks than it solves.
Additionally, personal protective equipment may need to offer protection against more than one risk, in which case it will be important to identify any potential conflicts or difficulties. Finally, the equipment should be made available, which means conveniently too hand, immediately too hand, and in a condition which makes them suitable for immediate use - all of which places great responsibility on the employer in terms of assessments, risk analysis, PPE equipment checks and training where required. It's also worth noting that under the personal protective equipment regulations of 1992 it is not permitted for an employer to make any charge to the employee for the use of the required equipment. This includes contractors, visitors and agency workers too.
