Relevant Statutes:
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Sect 9
General
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is defined 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 it must be issued and worn when the risks cannot be avoided or sufficiently limited by technical means".
Duties are imposed on the employer to:
- assess the risks posed
- select PPE which gives the correct degree of protection against the risks and which:
- is suitable for the worker including fitting correctly,
- is compatible with the work,
- complies with the Regulations, that is, complies with an EC Product Directive;
- provide the PPE free of charge;
- maintain the PPE in clean, good working order;
- involve the workforce or their representative in the selection of PPE; and
- provide information, instruction and training on its use.
PPE is a 'last resort' in the hierarchy of control measures; engineering controls and safe systems of work should always be considered first. There are a number of reasons for this approach:
- PPE protects only the person wearing it;
- the theoretical maximum levels of protection are seldom achieved;
- effective protection is only achieved if the PPE is 'suitable', that is, correctly fitted, maintained and used properly;
The wearer may be restricted to some extent by limitations to movement, visibility and additional weight.
To ensure that the PPE is correct for the particular task involved and the circumstances of its use, an assessment of each particular task involved and the circumstances must be carried out before the equipment is selected.
To ensure that PPE is selected properly and that it will be 'suitable' an assessment must be carried out for each particular task involved and the circumstances of its use. Once all potential hazards are known it is recommended that selection is made based on the guidance given in Part 2 Guidance to the Regulations.
An effective system of maintenance must be established to ensure that PPE continues to provide the degree of protection for which it was designed. The duty imposed on the employer and the self-employed is to ensure that PPE is maintained (including replaced, or cleaned as appropriate) in an efficient state, efficient working order and in good repair. Adequate storage must be provided to protect PPE from contamination, loss or damage (e.g. from harmful substances, damp or sunlight).
When PPE becomes contaminated during use, the accommodation arrangements should be separated from the accommodation provided for ordinary clothing.
PPE for Offshore Emergencies
It is the responsibility of the Duty Holder (i.e. the owner or operator) to provide PPE for use in:
- conditions of fire, heat smoke, fumes or toxic gas
- the event of immersion in the sea
to all persons on the installation. In other words for emergency PPE the duty holder is treated as the sole employer. PPE for normal work activities remains the responsibility of the actual employer.
Emergency PPE would include;
- survival suits
- lifejackets
- smoke hoods
The Duty Holder has to establish a written scheme for the systematic examination and, where appropriate, testing (by a competent person) of PPE for emergencies. Records of examinations must be kept.
Charging for PPE
It is illegal for an employer to charge for any item provided to meet specific legal HSWA Sect. 9
Recommended Further Reading
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work - Guidance on Regulations HSE L25
.