Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE as its commonly known, is essential in many occupations and is there to act as protection against health and safety hazards in the workplace. PPE is defined in the The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 as ‘all equipment 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‘.
PPE comes in many forms such as:
- Helmets and hard hats
- Goggles
- Safety footwear
- Safety harnesses
- Life jackets
It is an employer’s duty to provide PPE and to make sure it is suitable to the job which is being carried out.
Under the 1992 regulations, it states that it is an employer’s duty to ensure that all PPE provided is kept ‘maintained in an efficient state‘ and is in ‘good repair‘. All staff members must have also received ‘adequate‘ and ‘appropriate‘ training on how to use the PPE correctly.
Any PPE is to be purchased only at the cost of the employer, and should be free of charge to all employees. If any equipment becomes faulty or damaged, it should be quickly replaced by the employer.
Failure to provide PPE costs employers £252m annually, and can result in minor injuries such lacerations, burns or falls, or can sometimes more life changing injuries that can impact hugely on your daily life.
Injuries such as crush injuries caused by inappropriate equipment causing employees to become trapped in machinery, or falls from heights caused by a failure to provide suitable PPE can all be life changing for the employee and can result in broken bones or serious trauma injuries.
PEE should be reviewed regularly and should be suitable for the job which is required. Employers should provide protection equipment to employees if they are at a constant risk. Employers should provide respirators to protect from mesothelioma or any kind of respiratory disease when working with asbestos or hearing equipment when employees are subject to regular noise exposure.
Do you think your employer has failed to meet any of the regulations? Do you have a potential claim? Call us today on our free helpline 0800 634 75 75.
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