The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 are a set of regulations created under the

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (c. 37) (HSWA 1974, HASWA or HASAWA) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that defines the fundamental structure and authority for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of work ...

which came into force in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

on 1 January 1993. The regulations place a duty on every

employer Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any ot ...

to ensure that suitable

personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elect ...

is provided to employees who may be exposed to a

risk In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environ ...

to their

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

while at work.

Personal protective equipment

Personal protective equipment (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 which protects them against one or more risks to their health and safety". PPE would include such things as hard hats, eye protection, safety harnesses, life jackets and safety footwear. The regulations however do not apply where requirements for PPE are detailed in other regulations, these include the: *Control of lead at Work Regulations 2002, *

Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 The Ionising Radiations Regulations (IRR) are statutory instruments which form the main legal requirements for the use and control of ionising radiation in the United Kingdom. There have been several versions of the regulations, the current legis ...

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 :''This article deals with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 which came into force on 13 November 2006. For the later regulations which came into force on 6th April 2012, see Asbestos and the law - Control of Asbestos Regulations'' The ...

* Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 *Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989 * The Control of Noise at Work regulations 2005. Please note that on 6 April 2022 the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations 2022 come into force. They extend the duty on employers to provide personal protective equipment (PPE), including clothing, to those who are classified as "limb (b) workers". Unlike employees, who are "limb (a) workers" and work under an employment contract, limb (b) workers undertake work via a "contract for service" and usually have a more casual working relationship with the employer. See also: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/8/contents/made The

also states that employers are not allowed to charge for any PPE that is used for work.

Other requirements

The regulations also impose requirements with respect to— *compatibility of items of personal protective equipment where it is necessary to wear or use more than one item simultaneously. *the making, review and changing of assessments in relation to the choice of personal protective equipment. *the maintenance (including replacement and cleaning as appropriate) of personal protective equipment. *the provision of accommodation for personal protective equipment. *the provision of information, instruction and training. *ensuring personal protective equipment is used.Legislation.gov - Explanatory note
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Prosecutions arising from the regulations

On 25 June 2008 a moulding company in Leicester was fined £5,300 and ordered to pay £2,134.10 after an employee suffered serious burns after he removed a mould plug during a routine operation at Harrison Castings Ltd. The burns required several skin grafts and five days in hospital for the employee. Inspector Munera Sidat said that the accident could have been prevented had the company provided the right type of gloves saying "Instead of foundry gloves which provide heat resistance, he was wearing rigger gloves which offered him very little protection. Not only did the molten metal permeate straight through the material, but the gloves were also so short that the liquid went up his jacket sleeves, making his burns worse." The company was charged under regulation 6 of the regulations which states that an assessment of the PPE provided should be made to ensure that it is suitable for the task".

References

{{reflist, 2 Health and safety in the United Kingdom Safety codes Statutory instruments of the United Kingdom 1992 in British law Personal protective equipment