01.09.2005

HSE Publishes revised PPE guidance

The UK’S Health & Safety Executive has published a revised version of guidance designed to help employers who supply and use personal protective equipment (PPE) at work meet their duties under the law.


The guidance, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations, (L25), was first published in 1992, has now been updated to reflect changes to the Regulations, developments in PPE and to clarify guidance queries commonly received by HSE.
It also now includes a section on Personal Fall protection equipment for when working at heights.


The Regulations require PPE; for example, safety helmets, gloves, eye protection and high-visibility clothing, to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to workers' health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways.

The Regulations require PPE to be:

• properly assessed before use to ensure its suitability for the work being done;
• maintained and stored properly;
• provided with adequate instruction on how to use it safely;
• worn correctly by the user.


The first section of the booklet sets out the Regulations, followed byinformation on how to comply with their requirements. The second partprovides details on the different types of PPE available, the types of hazards that may require PPE to be worn, followed by advice on its correct selection, use and maintenance.


The HSE has also reissued A Short Guide to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, a free leaflet aimed at providing employers with a brief summary of the law's main requirements. In particular, the guide includes a short synopsis of common workplace hazards and types of PPE that can be used to prevent workers' exposure.

The leaflet also provides tips on ensuring PPE is adequately maintained and workers are provided with sufficient training so that it is properly used.

Copies of the Short Guide to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, INDG174, are available from HSE Books. Alternatively the booklet can be downloaded from the HSE website click here for a direct link

Copies of full Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended), ISBN 0 7176 6139 3, are available for £8.95 from
HSE Books, PO,
Box 1999, Sudbury,
Suffolk CO10 2WA,
tel: 01787-881165
fax: 01787-313995.

or from good booksellers.