PPE in the Workplace: What Employers Must Provide (UK Guide)

Personal protective equipment is often the first thing employers think of when managing workplace risks. It should actually be the last. Understanding where PPE sits in the control hierarchy — and what your legal obligations are — is essential for any UK employer.

The Legal Framework

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (amended 2022) set out the core requirements for employers and employees. These regulations implement the EU PPE Directive into UK law and apply across virtually every sector.

The key provisions are:

• Employers must provide suitable PPE free of charge to employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled by other means
• PPE must be appropriate for the risk, fit the user correctly, take account of ergonomic requirements, and be effective in controlling the risk
• Employers must ensure PPE is properly maintained, stored, and replaced when necessary
• Employees must be provided with adequate information, instruction, and training on the use of PPE
• Employees must use PPE as instructed and report any defects or losses

Following the 2022 amendment, these duties were extended to cover workers (not just employees), including those on zero-hours contracts, agency workers, and some freelancers.

PPE Is the Last Resort

This point is worth emphasising because it is widely misunderstood. The hierarchy of controls in UK health and safety law runs as follows:

1. Eliminate the hazard entirely
2. Substitute with something less hazardous
3. Engineering controls — isolate the hazard (guarding, enclosures, ventilation)
4. Administrative controls — safe systems of work, job rotation, reduced exposure time
5. PPE — protect the individual from the hazard

PPE does nothing to remove or reduce the hazard itself. If the PPE fails — it tears, is not fitted correctly, is not worn — the worker is fully exposed. For this reason, relying on PPE when an engineering or administrative control is practicable is not compliant with UK law.

Your risk assessment should document why other controls have been considered and found to be insufficient or impracticable before concluding that PPE is required.

Types of PPE and When Each Is Required

Head protection. Safety helmets are required where there is a risk of falling objects or striking the head against a fixed object. On construction sites, this is almost universally required under the Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989.

Eye and face protection. Safety spectacles, goggles, or face shields are required when there is a risk from flying particles, chemical splashes, dust, or optical radiation (welding, laser work). The correct type depends on the nature of the risk.

Hearing protection. Required when noise levels exceed the upper action value of 85 dB(A) under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Employers must also make hearing protection available (but not compulsory) above the lower action value of 80 dB(A).

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Required when workers may be exposed to hazardous substances in the air — dust, fumes, vapours, gases — that cannot be controlled by other means. The correct type (filtering facepiece, half mask, full face mask, powered air-purifying respirator) depends on the substance and concentration.

Hand protection. Gloves are required for protection against chemical exposure, cuts, abrasion, extreme temperatures, and biological hazards. The selection depends on the specific chemical or physical hazard.

Foot protection. Safety footwear is required where there is a risk from falling objects, puncture injuries, or chemical spills. Safety boots must meet the appropriate EN standard for the specific risk.

High-visibility clothing. Required for workers who may be exposed to moving vehicles or plant — on roads, construction sites, railway infrastructure, and warehouse environments with forklift traffic.

Fall protection. Harnesses and lanyards are a form of PPE for work at height when collective protection (guardrails, safety nets) is not practicable.

Standards and Marking

All PPE supplied to UK workers must bear either the CE mark (products conforming to EU harmonised standards, acceptable in the UK for products placed on the market before 1 January 2022) or the UKCA mark (UK Conformity Assessed, required for new products placed on the Great Britain market from January 2022 onwards, with transitional provisions in place).

The mark alone is not sufficient. Employers should verify that the PPE is certified for the specific risks present in their workplace. Each type of PPE is tested and certified against particular EN (or BS EN) standards, and the product marking or documentation should confirm which standard it meets.

PPE Must Fit

Ill-fitting PPE provides inadequate protection and may create additional hazards. Employers must ensure that PPE is selected to fit the individual user, taking into account body size, shape, and any relevant medical conditions. This is particularly important for RPE — a mask that does not seal correctly against the wearer's face provides significantly reduced protection. Face fit testing for RPE is a separate requirement under COSHH and must be documented.