PPE at Work Regulations: A Practical UK Guide

A site manager walks the job at 7.30am. Two agency labourers are cutting blocks without eye protection. When asked, one says he wasn't given any glasses because he's "not on the books". That answer used to be arguable. Since April 2022, it isn't.

The PPE at Work Regulations, properly the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, require employers to provide suitable personal protective equipment, free of charge, to workers who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety, unless that risk is adequately controlled by other means that are equally or more effective. Since 6 April 2022, those duties cover limb (b) workers as well as employees. PPE also has to be assessed for suitability, maintained, stored and backed by training, and workers must use it properly and report loss or defects.

This guide explains what the regulations require, what counts as PPE, why it's the last line of defence, and how it plays out on construction, security and FM jobs.

What does PPE mean?

PPE stands for personal protective equipment. The regulations define it as all equipment, including clothing that protects against the weather, that's intended to be worn or held by a person at work and protects them against one or more risks to their health and safety. Accessories designed for the same purpose count too.

HSE's PPE overview gives typical examples: safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is PPE as well.

Some things aren't covered. Regulation 3 excludes ordinary working clothes and uniforms that don't specifically protect the wearer, along with a few other items such as portable detection devices and equipment used in competitive sport. A company polo shirt isn't PPE. A hi-vis vest worn because of moving plant is.

The PPE at Work Regulations 1992: what they require

The regulations came into force on 1 January 1993 and have been amended several times since. Here are the core duties, regulation by regulation, as they stand now.

Regulation 4: provision

Employers must ensure suitable PPE is provided to their workers who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety at work, except where and to the extent that the risk is adequately controlled by other means that are equally or more effective.

To be suitable, PPE must be appropriate for the risks and the conditions and for how long it's worn. It must take account of ergonomics and the wearer's health, fit the wearer correctly, be capable of preventing or adequately controlling the risk without increasing overall risk as far as practicable, and meet any legal requirements that apply to that product.

HSE is clear that employers must provide PPE free of charge where a risk assessment shows it's needed.

Regulation 5: compatibility

If someone has to wear more than one item at once, for example a helmet, ear defenders and a half-mask respirator, the items must work together and stay effective against each risk. Ear defenders that break the seal on safety goggles, or a hard hat that won't sit properly with a face shield, fail this test.

Regulation 6: assessment

Before choosing PPE, the employer must make sure an assessment is carried out to decide whether it's suitable. In practice, that means identifying the risks that haven't been avoided by other means, working out what the PPE needs to do, and comparing the options against those needs. Review the assessment if it may no longer be valid or there's been a significant change.

Regulation 7: maintenance and replacement

PPE must be kept in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair, which includes cleaning and replacing it as needed. Harness inspections, replacing damaged helmets and changing RPE filters all sit here.

Regulation 8: accommodation

Employers must provide appropriate storage for PPE when it isn't in use. A respirator left on a dusty van dashboard won't protect anyone.

Regulation 9: information, instruction and training

Workers must be given enough information, instruction and training to understand the risks the PPE protects against, how and why to use it, and how to keep it in working order. The information must be understandable to the people receiving it, and demonstrations should be organised where appropriate.

Regulations 10 and 11: use and reporting

Employers must take all reasonable steps to make sure PPE is properly used. Workers must use it in line with their training and instructions, take reasonable steps to return it to its storage after use, and report any loss or obvious defect to their employer straight away.

What changed in 2022: limb (b) workers

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force on 6 April 2022. HSE's page on the extended scope of the PPE Regulations explains that the duties now extend to limb (b) workers as well as employees.

Employees (limb (a) workers) work under a contract of employment. Limb (b) workers work under some other contract to perform work or services personally, and usually have a more casual relationship with the employer. On UK sites that can include some agency staff, casual labourers and people on zero-hours arrangements, depending on their contracts. HSE notes the changes don't apply to people who are genuinely self-employed.

For limb (b) workers, the employer must now:

• carry out a PPE suitability assessment where the risk assessment shows PPE is needed
• provide the PPE free of charge
• maintain, store and replace it
• give information, instruction and training on its use

And limb (b) workers now have duties too: to use the PPE in line with their training and instructions, return it to storage, and report loss or defects.

Working out someone's employment status can be complicated, and it's a question for your HR or legal adviser rather than the site team. In practice, many principal contractors simply issue the same PPE to everyone on site, which avoids the argument altogether.

Why PPE is the last resort

The regulations themselves say PPE isn't needed where the risk is adequately controlled by other means that are equally or more effective. That fits with the general principles of prevention in Schedule 1 to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which include giving collective protective measures priority over individual ones.

In plain terms, work through the hierarchy first:

1. Can you avoid the hazard altogether, for example by having materials cut to size off site?
2. Can you substitute something less hazardous?
3. Can you use engineering controls, such as on-tool extraction, edge protection or guarding?
4. Can you use safe systems of work, such as exclusion zones, permits to work or task rotation?
5. Then use PPE for the risk that's left.

PPE comes last because it only protects the person wearing it, relies on it fitting and being worn correctly the whole time, and can fail without anyone noticing. A respirator that doesn't seal gives no warning. Guardrails protect everyone on the scaffold, whether or not they remember their harness. For working at height in particular, see our guide to the Work at Height Regulations.

Types of PPE

It helps to group PPE by the part of the body it protects. Here are the main types, with typical UK site uses.

Head protection

Safety helmets protect against falling objects and knocks. Bump caps are for low-clearance areas where there's no falling-object risk, and aren't a substitute for a helmet on a construction site.

Eye and face protection

Safety spectacles, goggles and face shields protect against flying particles, dust, chemical splashes and welding radiation. Cutting blocks, grinding and handling chemicals all call for eye protection.

Hearing protection

Ear defenders and earplugs. Hearing protection is dealt with mainly by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, which have their own rules on when it must be provided and used.

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

Disposable masks, half masks, full-face masks, powered respirators and breathing apparatus. Tight-fitting facepieces rely on a good seal with the face, so HSE's RPE fit testing guidance (INDG479) explains that they need to be fit tested, and that a competent person should do it. Stubble and the wrong size can both break the seal.

Hand and arm protection

Gloves for cuts, abrasion, chemicals, heat and cold. Chemical-resistant gloves need to be chosen for the specific substance, and your COSHH assessment should say which.

Foot and leg protection

Safety boots with toe and mid-sole protection, wellingtons for wet ground, and specialist footwear for chainsaw work or electrical hazards.

Body protection and high visibility

Hi-vis clothing, coveralls, chemical suits, waterproofs and thermal clothing. The regulations include clothing that protects against the weather, so waterproofs for outdoor work can count as PPE.

Fall protection

Harnesses and lanyards used as part of a fall arrest or work restraint system. These need a suitable anchor, regular inspection and a rescue plan.

Where other regulations take over

Regulation 3 of the PPE Regulations says that most of its duties don't apply where PPE is already required by certain other regulations. These are the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.

That doesn't mean less protection. It means you follow the specific regulations instead. RPE for silica dust is chosen through your COSHH assessment (see our COSHH regulations guide). RPE for asbestos work falls under the asbestos regulations. If you're not sure whether a material you've found is asbestos, read our guide on what asbestos looks like before anyone reaches for a mask and carries on.

PPE in practice: UK site examples

Construction. A groundworks crew is using a cut-off saw on kerbs. The controls are water suppression on the saw first, then fit-tested RPE, eye protection, hearing protection, gloves and safety boots for the remaining risk. The agency labourer gets exactly the same kit, fit test and briefing as the direct employees.

Facilities management. A cleaning contractor's operatives use a descaler in washrooms. The COSHH assessment specifies chemical-resistant gloves and splash goggles. The supervisor checks stock weekly, replaces split gloves and keeps the goggles in a labelled box in the cleaner's cupboard, which covers maintenance and storage.

Security. Door supervisors at a late-night venue may be issued stab vests and search gloves where the risk assessment calls for them. Hi-vis and weatherproof clothing is common for car park and event roles. Ordinary uniform isn't PPE, but a vest issued to protect against a specific risk is.

Common PPE failures on site

• PPE issued, but nobody trained in how to wear, check or store it
• RPE without a fit test, or worn over stubble
• One-size-fits-all gloves and boots that don't fit smaller workers
• Harnesses with no inspection records or rescue plan
• PPE used as the first control instead of the last
• Agency or casual workers expected to bring their own kit

Most of these show up in RAMS too. A method statement that says "PPE to be worn" and nothing more gives the reader nothing to check. It should name the item, the specification where relevant, and when it must be worn. Our guide to writing a method statement covers how to set that out.

How swiftRMS helps

swiftRMS drafts RAMS from a description of the job. Each draft lists the hazards for the task, the controls in hierarchy order, and the PPE for each activity, rather than a generic list tacked on at the end. It cites the relevant legislation, including the PPE at Work Regulations 1992 and, where they apply, COSHH, noise or asbestos regulations.

The draft is ready for review, not ready to use. A competent person must check it against your site, task and team, then edit and approve it before it goes out. That review is what makes it suitable and sufficient for your job. You can see sample outputs on our examples page.

To see how a draft handles PPE for one of your jobs, try a free RAMS preview with no signup. There's also a 14-day free trial, no card needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the PPE at Work Regulations?

They're the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. They require employers to provide suitable PPE to workers exposed to risks that aren't adequately controlled in other ways, and to assess, maintain and store it and train people in its use. They were amended in 2022 to cover limb (b) workers.

Do employers have to pay for PPE?

Yes. HSE says employers must provide PPE free of charge where a risk assessment shows it's needed. Since April 2022, that applies to limb (b) workers as well as employees.

Do the 2022 PPE changes apply to self-employed people?

No. HSE says the 2022 changes don't apply to people who are genuinely self-employed. They cover employees and limb (b) workers. The regulations do contain separate provisions for certain self-employed people in relation to their own PPE.

Why is PPE called the last resort?

Because it only protects the wearer, relies on correct fit and use, and can fail without warning. The law expects you to control risks by other means first, such as removing the hazard, substituting materials, engineering controls and safe systems of work, and to use PPE for whatever risk remains.

What are the main types of PPE?

Head protection, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protective equipment, hand and arm protection, foot and leg protection, body protection including hi-vis and weather clothing, and fall protection such as harnesses. The right choice depends on your risk assessment.

Can a worker refuse to wear PPE?

Workers have a legal duty to use PPE provided to them in line with their training and instructions. If someone says it doesn't fit, is uncomfortable or clashes with other kit, take that seriously. Fit and compatibility are legal requirements, so the answer may be different PPE rather than a disciplinary.

Official Resources

• HSE: Using personal protective equipment (PPE) to control risks at work
• HSE: Extended scope of the PPE at Work Regulations from 6 April 2022
• HSE: L25 Personal protective equipment at work (guidance)
• HSE: Guidance on RPE fit testing (INDG479)
• legislation.gov.uk: The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
• legislation.gov.uk: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Schedule 1