Mandatory PPE at work: what the UK regulations require

Which PPE is mandatory depends on the risks in the job, not on a fixed list. In the UK, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require employers to provide suitable PPE free of charge wherever a risk to health and safety cannot be adequately controlled in other ways. Workers must then use it as instructed.

This guide explains what the law requires, who it covers since the 2022 amendment, where PPE sits in the hierarchy of control, which PPE is typically required for which hazard, and how to store, inspect and replace it. It ends with the questions supervisors get asked most: can employers charge for PPE, and can workers refuse to wear it?

What counts as PPE?

PPE is equipment worn or held by a person at work to protect them against one or more risks to their health or safety. Typical examples are safety helmets, safety glasses and face shields, hearing protection, respiratory protective equipment (RPE), gloves, safety footwear, high-visibility clothing and fall arrest harnesses.

Ordinary work clothing and uniforms that do not specifically protect against a risk are not PPE.

Mandatory PPE: what the PPE at Work Regulations 1992 require

The main duties for employers are:

• Provide suitable PPE where risks are not adequately controlled by other means (regulation 4). It must fit the wearer, suit the task and the conditions, and be UKCA or CE marked.
• Assess the PPE before choosing it, to make sure it actually protects against the risk (regulation 6).
• Make sure items work together, for example safety glasses that do not stop ear defenders sealing (regulation 5).
• Maintain and replace PPE, keeping it in efficient working order and good repair (regulation 7).
• Provide storage for PPE when it is not in use (regulation 8).
• Give information, instruction and training on the risks, why the PPE is needed, and how to use, maintain and store it, in a way workers can understand (regulation 9).
• Make sure PPE is used properly (regulation 10).

Workers in turn must use PPE in line with their training, return it to storage and report any loss or obvious defect (regulations 10 and 11).

The 2022 amendment: limb (b) workers

Since 6 April 2022, the PPE at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 extend these duties to "limb (b)" workers. Broadly, these are people who personally carry out work for you under a contract but are not employees, such as many casual and zero-hours workers. If someone like this needs PPE for the job, you must provide it free of charge, just as you would for an employee.

Where other regulations apply

For some hazards, specific regulations set the PPE rules instead, including the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, COSHH 2002 for respiratory protection against hazardous substances, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017. The principle is the same: assess, provide, train and maintain.

PPE is the last line of defence: the hierarchy of control

PPE only protects the person wearing it, only when it is worn correctly, and fails without warning. That is why UK law puts it last. Schedule 1 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires you to give collective protective measures priority over individual ones.

1. Eliminate the hazard: do the work at ground level, use a less hazardous process.
2. Substitute: a less harmful substance, a quieter machine.
3. Engineering controls: guard rails, machine guards, local exhaust ventilation, noise enclosures.
4. Administrative controls: safe systems of work, permits, exclusion zones, job rotation, training.
5. PPE: for the risk that remains.

PPE vs collective protection

Collective protection protects everyone in an area without them having to do anything: edge protection on a roof, extraction on a cutting bench, a barrier between pedestrians and forklifts. PPE protects one person and depends on their behaviour. On a roof, for example, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 expect guard rails or other collective measures before you rely on harnesses. In practice you often need both: collective measures to reduce the risk, PPE for the residual risk.

Which PPE is required for which hazard?

Your risk assessment decides what is mandatory for each task. The table gives common examples.

Body area	Typical hazards	PPE commonly required
Head	Falling objects, striking head on fixed objects, overhead work (construction, scaffolding, warehousing)	Safety helmet; bump cap only where there is no risk of falling objects
Eyes and face	Dust, flying particles from grinding or cutting, chemical splashes, welding light	Safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding visors
Hearing	Noise at or above 80 dB(A) (protection available) or 85 dB(A) (protection mandatory)	Ear plugs or ear defenders, chosen for the noise level
Lungs	Silica and wood dust, fumes, vapours, asbestos, low oxygen	RPE such as FFP3 masks or powered respirators; tight-fitting facepieces need face fit testing
Hands and arms	Cuts, abrasion, chemicals, heat, vibration, biological agents	Gloves rated for the specific hazard (cut level, chemical type)
Feet and legs	Falling objects, sharp objects underfoot, slips, wet or hot conditions	Safety boots or shoes with toe caps and midsole protection, wellingtons, gaiters
Body	Moving vehicles and plant, weather, chemicals, contamination	High-visibility clothing, overalls, chemical suits, cold or wet weather gear
Falls	Work at height where falls cannot be prevented by collective measures	Harness with lanyard or fall arrest system, plus a rescue plan

Sector examples: on a construction site, helmet, safety boots and hi-vis are usually site rules for everyone, with eye, hearing and respiratory protection added per task. In food production, hygiene clothing, cut-resistant gloves and safety footwear are typical. In healthcare and cleaning, gloves, aprons and eye protection against splashes and infection are the main requirements.

Storing, inspecting and replacing PPE

Storage

• Provide clean, dry storage away from sunlight, chemicals and heat, which degrade plastics and webbing.
• Keep reusable RPE in a sealed bag or case so it does not get contaminated.
• Never hang helmets in a vehicle's rear window or store harnesses with sharp tools.
• Keep spares of consumables (ear plugs, disposable masks, gloves) where people can get them.

Inspection

• Before every use: the wearer checks for damage, wear, cracks, missing parts and correct fit.
• Harnesses and lanyards: pre-use checks plus regular detailed inspections by a competent person, more often in harsh conditions, in line with HSE guidance and the manufacturer.
• RPE: COSHH requires reusable RPE to be thoroughly examined and, where appropriate, tested at suitable intervals, with records kept for at least five years.
• Helmets: check the shell and harness and follow the manufacturer's replacement date.

Build PPE checks into your workplace inspections so defects are logged and followed up.

Replacement

Replace PPE when it is damaged, past its expiry date, no longer fits, or after it has done its job: a helmet after an impact, a harness after arresting a fall, filters when breathing becomes harder or they reach their limit.

Training workers on PPE

PPE that is worn wrongly gives a false sense of security. Regulation 9 requires training that workers actually understand, which for many teams means in their own language. Cover:

• Which PPE is required for which task, and why.
• How to put it on, adjust it, take it off and check it.
• Its limits: what it does not protect against.
• How to store, clean and report defects or losses.

Short, repeated toolbox talks work better than a single induction session. For ideas, see interactive PPE exercises for toolbox talks, or download our free PPE toolbox talk.

Frequently asked questions

Can an employer charge workers for PPE?

No. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 prohibits charging employees for anything provided to meet a specific legal requirement, and that includes PPE. Since 2022 this also applies to limb (b) workers. You cannot ask for a deposit or deduct it from wages.

Can workers refuse to wear PPE?

Workers have a legal duty to use PPE provided for them in line with their training. If they find it uncomfortable or unsuitable, they should raise it so you can look at alternatives, because PPE must fit the wearer. Refusing without a valid reason can be dealt with as a disciplinary matter. One specific exemption exists: turban-wearing Sikhs are exempt from wearing head protection in most workplaces.

Who is responsible for providing PPE to agency workers and subcontractors?

The employer of the worker is responsible, but on shared sites everyone must cooperate. Agree in writing who provides what. Principal contractors under CDM 2015 must make sure site rules, including PPE, are clear to all contractors.

Is hi-vis mandatory?

There is no general law requiring hi-vis everywhere. It is required where your risk assessment shows workers could be struck by vehicles or plant, and many sites make it a site rule.

Do I need to keep records of PPE issued?

Not for every item by law, but recording what was issued, when, and the training given is good practice and helps in audits and after incidents. Inspection records for RPE are a legal requirement under COSHH.

PPE toolbox talks with E-lia

With E-lia, workers receive a short PPE toolbox talk via WhatsApp: no app, no login, in their own language, with a quick knowledge check. It takes 5 to 8 minutes, and the dashboard shows you exactly who has completed it. Our library of 80+ ready-made talks includes PPE, hearing protection, RPE and working at height, and we import your own site rules for you.