PPE at Work Regulations 1992 Explained: What Employers Must Provide

Personal protective equipment is one of the most visible parts of workplace safety, but it's also one of the most misunderstood: the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 treat PPE as the last line of defence, not the first, and employers who reach for it too early are often missing more effective and legally required steps.

What counts as PPE

The regulations define PPE broadly as any equipment worn or held to protect against risks to health and safety, including safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear, and respiratory protective equipment. Ordinary work clothing that offers no specific protective function, and equipment covered by other specific regulations (such as certain equipment already regulated under COSHH), sits outside the PPE Regulations' direct scope, though the underlying duty to manage the risk remains.

Where PPE sits in the hierarchy of control

Health and safety law expects employers to work through the risk assessment process before turning to PPE: eliminate the hazard if possible, substitute it with something less dangerous, control it through engineering measures, then through safe systems of work and training, and only then issue PPE to manage whatever risk remains. Relying on PPE as a first response, rather than a residual measure after other controls, is one of the most common enforcement findings the HSE makes during workplace inspections.

The employer's core duties

Where PPE is genuinely needed, the regulations set out specific obligations. Employers must provide suitable PPE free of charge to employees exposed to the risk — charging staff for required safety equipment, even indirectly, is not permitted. The PPE provided must be suitable for the risk, the working environment, and the individual wearing it, including fit for different body types. Employers must ensure PPE is properly maintained, cleaned and replaced when necessary, provide suitable storage when it's not in use, and give employees adequate information, instruction and training on why it's needed, how to use it correctly, and its limitations.

The employee's responsibilities

Employees also have duties under the regulations: they must use PPE in accordance with the training and instructions they've been given, and must report any loss or defect to their employer immediately rather than continuing to use damaged equipment or going without.

Where PPE at Work Regulations interact with other rules

Several other regulations layer additional PPE-specific requirements onto particular hazards — the Control of Noise at Work Regulations for hearing protection, and construction-specific rules for head protection, for example. Where more specific regulations apply, they generally take precedence, with the 1992 Regulations acting as the general backstop covering PPE risks not addressed elsewhere.

Common compliance gaps

The most frequent gaps HSE inspectors find are PPE that doesn't fit properly (particularly where equipment designed around a single body type is issued to a diverse workforce), inadequate training on correct use and limitations, and PPE that's technically provided but not actually maintained or replaced when worn out. A written PPE assessment, identifying which roles need which equipment and why, helps close these gaps and gives a clear audit trail.

Assessing PPE needs properly

A proper PPE assessment goes role by role rather than issuing a generic kit to everyone. It should consider the specific tasks a role involves, the duration and frequency of exposure to the hazard, and whether more than one type of PPE is needed at once — for example, combining eye protection with a respirator, which can create its own fit and compatibility issues if not checked together. Reviewing PPE needs whenever a process, material or piece of equipment changes helps avoid staff being issued with equipment that no longer matches the actual risk they face.

Storage matters too: PPE that's issued but then left in a locker where it gets damp, crushed or contaminated between uses stops offering the protection it was designed for. Employers should provide suitable, clearly identified storage for each type of PPE, and build a simple replacement process into their safety management system so damaged or worn equipment doesn't stay in use simply because nobody flagged it.

PPE awareness is increasingly built into broader CPD and compliance training programmes rather than delivered as a one-off induction session, particularly in sectors where equipment and materials change frequently enough that a single training session quickly goes out of date.

Frequently asked questions

Can an employer charge staff for PPE? No. Where PPE is required to control a risk, it must be provided free of charge, and this cannot be recovered from wages or through a deposit scheme.

Is PPE the first thing an employer should consider? No. The law expects elimination, substitution and engineering or administrative controls to be considered first, with PPE used to manage whatever risk remains.

Does PPE law cover ordinary work uniforms? No, unless the clothing itself provides a specific protective function against an identified risk.

Who is responsible for maintaining PPE? The employer must ensure PPE is maintained, but employees are responsible for reporting any loss or defect so it can be repaired or replaced.