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Home | Services | Services for you | Personal Injury | Accidents / injury at work | Accidents at work factsheets | Safety clothing and protective equipment at work
Safety clothing and protective equipment at work
21 October 2008
To reduce the risks of injury and to your health at work employers are obliged to provide you with protective equipment and clothing.
Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, such equipment is defined as all equipment (including clothing) intended to be worn or held by a person at work, and which protects against one or more risks to health or safety. Examples of protective equipment include safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses and masks.
These Regulations require that protective equipment is only to be supplied and used at work where there are risks to employees’ health and safety that cannot adequately be controlled in other ways, i.e. it is are a measure of last resort.
The Regulations require that the equipment is:
- properly assessed to ensure it is suitable for the intended use
- is maintained and stored properly
- is provided with instructions on how to use it safely and
- is used correctly by employees
Protective equipment should be provided free of charge. The right type of equipment has to be carefully chosen considering the different hazards in the work place for example:
- If there is a risk of chemical or metal splash or dust, safety spectacles, goggles or visors may be appropriate. Or where there is a risk of injury to the head from falling or flying objects or risk of head bumping or hair entanglement, then your employers should consider a range of helmets, hair-nets and bump caps.
- Where there is a danger of injury to your body from extreme temperatures, adverse weather, chemical or metal splash, impact or penetration injuries then overalls, boiler suits, specialist protective clothing and high visibility clothing should be considered.
If you have been injured because of lack of such protective equipment, you may be able to bring a claim for compensation.
You may even be successful even if you were provided with such clothing or equipment, but it was inadequate, or the wearing of such equipment was not enforced adequately by your employers.
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