The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require employers to provide suitable PPE, free of charge, to workers exposed to risks that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways — and to assess, maintain, store, explain and enforce its use. Two points are routinely missed. First, PPE is legally the last resort: regulation 4 only requires it “except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective”. Second, since 6 April 2022 these duties cover not just employees but “limb (b)” workers too — including many casual and gig workers who were previously outside the Regulations.
At a glance: Nexis CPD’s £9 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) course explains the law, how to select, fit, use, store and check PPE, and its limits. It is CPD accredited and 100% online with a verifiable e-certificate, and any three courses cost £18. It supports the information and training duty — it does not replace the PPE assessment, product-specific instruction or face-fit testing your employer must arrange.
What are the PPE at Work Regulations?
Personal protective equipment is anything worn or held to protect someone against one or more risks to their health or safety at work — safety helmets, eye protection, gloves, safety footwear, high-visibility clothing, harnesses, protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment, for example. The PPE at Work Regulations 1992, made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, set out how employers must provide and manage it.
The main duties, in outline, are:
- Provision (regulation 4) — provide suitable PPE where risks are not adequately controlled by other means.
- Compatibility (regulation 5) — where more than one item is worn, the items must work together.
- Assessment (regulation 6) — assess the risks and the PPE before choosing it, to make sure it is suitable.
- Maintenance and replacement (regulation 7) — keep PPE in good working order and repair or replace it when needed.
- Accommodation (regulation 8) — provide suitable storage for PPE when it is not in use.
- Information, instruction and training (regulation 9) — explain the risks PPE protects against, how to use it and how to look after it.
- Use (regulation 10) — take all reasonable steps to make sure PPE is properly used; workers must use it as trained and return it to storage.
- Reporting loss or defect (regulation 11) — workers must report any loss of, or obvious defect in, their PPE.
Why is PPE the last resort?
Because it only protects the person wearing it, only when it is worn correctly, and only if it is the right equipment in good condition. It does nothing to remove the hazard. Regulation 4(1) reflects this directly: the duty to provide suitable PPE applies “except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective”.
So before reaching for PPE, an employer should work down the hierarchy of control: eliminate the hazard, substitute something less hazardous, use engineering controls such as guarding or extraction, and use administrative controls such as safe systems of work and reduced exposure times. PPE then covers the risk that remains. Our guide to the hierarchy of control explains the principle, and every PPE decision should start from a sound risk assessment.
A practical consequence: if you see a workplace that relies on PPE for a risk that could reasonably be engineered out, that is a sign the employer has got the order wrong — not that the PPE is the answer.
What changed in April 2022?
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force on 6 April 2022. They extended the employer’s and employee’s duties to limb (b) workers — broadly, people who work under a contract to personally do work or services for an employer but who are not employees, which often includes casual, zero-hours and some gig-economy workers.
HSE is clear about the scope of the change: the types of duties and responsibilities under the 1992 Regulations “remain unchanged but were extended to limb (b) workers”. In practice this means that where the risk assessment shows PPE is needed, a limb (b) worker is entitled to the same suitable PPE, provided free of charge, as an employee — and has the same duty to use it properly and return it to storage. The genuinely self-employed are not covered by the employer’s duty; they have their own duty to provide and use suitable PPE.
Can an employer charge for PPE?
No. Where PPE is required to meet a statutory duty, the employer must provide it free of charge. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 prohibits employers from charging employees for anything done or provided to meet a specific health and safety requirement, and HSE confirms that PPE required under the Regulations must be provided free of charge to both employees and limb (b) workers. That includes replacements when PPE wears out or is damaged through normal use.
What makes PPE “suitable”?
Regulation 4(3) sets out what suitable means. PPE must be appropriate for the risks involved and the conditions where exposure may occur; take account of ergonomic requirements and the state of health of the person wearing it; fit the wearer correctly, after any necessary adjustment; be capable of controlling the risk without increasing the overall level of risk; and comply with the legal requirements for its design and manufacture.
That last point matters when buying. PPE placed on the market must meet the product safety rules for its design and manufacture, so buying from a reputable supplier and checking the product’s conformity marking and instructions is part of choosing suitable equipment. Fit matters just as much: gloves that are too large, safety glasses that slip, or boots that cause pain will be taken off, and PPE that is not worn protects no one.
Where more than one item is worn — say, a respirator, safety glasses and ear defenders — regulation 5 requires them to be compatible, so that one does not undermine another. Glasses that break the seal of a respirator, or a helmet that pushes ear defenders out of position, are classic examples.
When do the PPE Regulations not apply?
This catches many people out. Regulation 3(3) provides that the main PPE duties do not apply where other regulations with their own PPE requirements apply instead. Currently these are the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), and the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
So respiratory protection against hazardous dusts and fumes is governed by COSHH, and hearing protection by the Noise Regulations — see our guides to COSHH and noise at work. The practical principles are very similar, but it is those regulations you need to check for the detailed requirements.
What is face-fit testing, and does facial hair matter?
Tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE), such as disposable or reusable half masks, only works if it seals to the face. Faces vary widely, so the same model will fit one person and leak on another. Face-fit testing checks that a particular model and size of tight-fitting mask seals properly on the individual who will wear it. HSE advises that the best time to fit test is “at the initial selection stage, when individual users can be given a choice of adequate models”, and that the test should be carried out by a fit tester who is “appropriately trained, qualified and experienced”.
Facial hair is the most common reason a mask fails. HSE puts it bluntly: “Facial hair – stubble and beards – make it impossible to get a good seal of the mask to the face.” Being clean-shaven where the mask seals helps prevent contaminated air leaking in around the edges. Where there are good reasons for a beard, such as religious reasons, HSE notes that alternative RPE that does not rely on a tight fit to the face — such as powered hoods or helmets — is available. Our guide to dust, silica and wood dust explains why this matters so much in construction and woodworking.
Can a worker refuse to wear PPE?
Workers have legal duties too. Under regulation 10, they must use PPE provided to them in accordance with the training and instructions they have received, and under section 7 of the 1974 Act they must take reasonable care of themselves and others and co-operate with their employer on health and safety. A refusal to wear required PPE, without good reason, can therefore become a disciplinary matter.
But a refusal is often a signal worth listening to. If PPE is uncomfortable, the wrong size, incompatible with other equipment or aggravating a health condition, the employer should look again at the choice — regulation 4(3) requires PPE to take account of the wearer’s health and fit them correctly. Discussing the problem usually works better than insisting.
Do Sikhs have to wear safety helmets?
Not if they wear a turban. HSE explains that sections 11 and 12 of the Employment Act 1989, as amended by the Deregulation Act 2015, exempt turban-wearing Sikhs from legal requirements to wear head protection at a workplace. There is a limited exception for particularly hazardous tasks in occupations providing an urgent response to an emergency, where a risk assessment shows head protection is essential. The exemption covers head protection only; all other required PPE must still be worn, and employers must still take other steps to reduce the risk of head injury, such as controlling access to areas where objects could fall.
How should PPE be maintained and stored?
PPE that is damaged, dirty or worn out may give little or no protection. Employers must keep PPE in efficient working order and good repair, following the manufacturer’s instructions for inspection, cleaning, replacement parts and service life. Some items need formal examination — for example, fall-arrest harnesses and lanyards need regular inspection by a competent person — while others, such as disposable masks, are single use. Regulation 8 requires somewhere suitable to store PPE when it is not in use, so that it is not left on a dirty bench, in direct sunlight or contaminated by the very substances it protects against.
Workers, in turn, should check their PPE before each use and report loss or obvious defects straight away, as regulation 11 requires, rather than carrying on with a cracked visor or a split glove.
What PPE training do workers need?
Regulation 9 requires employers to provide adequate and appropriate information, instruction and training so that workers know the risks the PPE will avoid or limit, why and how to use it, and how to keep it in working order. For some equipment — harnesses, RPE, hearing protection — that means practical, hands-on training on the specific product. For everyone, it means understanding that PPE is the last line of defence, how to check it, and why it must be worn correctly every time.
An online awareness course is a proportionate way to cover the general knowledge element. It does not replace product-specific instruction, face-fit testing, or the employer’s own PPE assessment. Where workers are exposed to vibrating tools, note that gloves are not an effective control for vibration — see our guide to hand-arm vibration.
Which courses support PPE at work?
Three £9 courses fit together well, each with a verifiable certificate for training records:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) — the law, selection, fit, use, maintenance and storage.
- Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) — types of RPE, face-fit testing and pre-use checks.
- COSHH Awareness — because much PPE use is driven by hazardous substances, which COSHH governs.
Those three together cost £18 rather than £27, because any three courses trigger the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. Add them to the cart and the discount applies automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What do the PPE at Work Regulations 1992 require?
They require employers to provide suitable PPE to workers exposed to risks that are not adequately controlled by other means, to assess its suitability, ensure items are compatible, maintain and replace it, provide storage, give information, instruction and training, and take reasonable steps to ensure it is properly used. Workers must use PPE as trained and report any loss or defect.
Is PPE the last resort?
Yes. Regulation 4(1) requires suitable PPE except where and to the extent that the risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective. Employers should first try to eliminate or reduce the risk through substitution, engineering and administrative controls, with PPE protecting against the risk that remains.
What changed in the PPE regulations in 2022?
From 6 April 2022, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 extended the employer’s and employee’s duties to limb (b) workers, a category that includes many casual workers. HSE states that the types of duties remain unchanged but were extended to limb (b) workers, who must now receive suitable PPE free of charge where the risk assessment identifies a need.
Can my employer make me pay for PPE?
No. Where PPE is required by law, it must be provided free of charge. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 prohibits employers from charging employees for anything done or provided to meet a specific statutory health and safety requirement, and HSE confirms PPE must be free for employees and limb (b) workers.
Can I wear a respirator with a beard?
Not a tight-fitting one. HSE states that facial hair, including stubble and beards, makes it impossible to get a good seal of the mask to the face. Where there are good reasons for having a beard, such as religious reasons, alternative respiratory protective equipment that does not rely on a tight fit to the face, such as a powered hood or helmet, is available.
Do turban-wearing Sikhs have to wear hard hats?
No, in most workplaces. Sections 11 and 12 of the Employment Act 1989, as amended by the Deregulation Act 2015, exempt turban-wearing Sikhs from legal requirements to wear head protection at work, with a limited exception for particularly hazardous tasks in emergency-response occupations where a risk assessment shows head protection is essential. All other required PPE must still be worn.
Get PPE right from the start
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100% online, verifiable e-certificate. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
This article is general information, not legal advice. A Nexis CPD awareness course is CPD accredited but is not a regulated qualification; it supports the information and training duty but does not replace the employer’s PPE assessment, product-specific instruction, or face-fit testing by a competent fit tester. Where the COSHH, Noise, Lead, Asbestos or Ionising Radiations Regulations apply, their specific PPE requirements govern. The PPE at Work Regulations 1992 apply in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has equivalent regulations. Duties cited are drawn from legislation.gov.uk and HSE guidance at the time of writing.