100% compensation for work accident claims
Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 employers are under an obligation to provide employees with the correct protective equipment when carrying out tasks which may inflict injury. If you have been asked to carry out a task involving handling hot objects and you have not been provided with gloves to protect your hands, you could pursue a claim for compensation if you are injured as a result.
Regulation 4 states:
“Every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to his employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective”
When supplying an employee with protective equipment the employer must take into consideration whether or not the protective equipment provided is suitable for the nature of work it is intended for. For gloves, this can ensure they actually protect the hands, are comfortable and of the correct size, and can be worn without hindrance to their work.
The gloves must be checked regularly to ensure they do not have any punctures or tears or other damage that could result in them becoming ineffective. Your employer should instruct you on when and how to use the gloves safely as well. Your employer should carry out inspections of personal protective equipment to ensure it is maintained in working order and equipment should be replaced when required, and stored safely to ensure it is available and in the correct working order for people to use.
Employers should keep records of inspections of the equipment as evidence, and training records as well to show that they have done all they should do to make sure an employee can use them correctly. In the event of handling a hot object there are different types of gloves which can be used depending upon the nature of the task and the material being handled. Insulated gloves made from specialist fabrics such as Nomex and Kevlar can be used when handling objects of a high temperature. If task involves burning chemicals you should use gloves which do not allow substances to permeate them. Your employer should ensure you are not allergic to any substances which the gloves could be made from as well.
