The regulations and accompanying impact assessment relating to employers’ and employees’ duties in respect of personal protective equipment (PPE) are to change from 6 April 2022.

What is PPE?

PPE is defined in the regulations 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 the person against one or more risks to that person’s health or safety, and any addition or accessory designed to meet that objective.”

What does this mean for employers? 

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 place a duty on every employer in Great Britain to ensure that suitable PPE is provided to employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work. 

If a risk assessment indicates a worker requires PPE to carry out their work activities, the employer must carry out a PPE suitability assessment and provide the PPE free of charge, as they do for employees. 

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 interim guidance

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has prepared interim guidance to help employers identify whether they and their workforce may be impacted by the changes and explains what employers may need to do to prepare for the changes.