Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Personal protective equipment

Control Measure Knowledge

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is defined in 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.

If an employer finds PPE to be necessary after a risk assessment, they have a duty to provide it free of charge. It includes items such as:

  • Helmets
  • Gloves
  • Eye protection
  • High-visibility clothing
  • Safety footwear

If PPE is required, employers must ensure their workers have sufficient information, instruction and training on its use. All workers must use the PPE properly, following training and instruction in its use from their employer. If the PPE the employer provides is lost or becomes defective, the worker should report that to them. It should be noted that a worker can be an employee or anyone who carries out casual or irregular work for one or more organisations, as long as they are not self-employed.

Equipment, such as chemical protective clothing (CPC), respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and safety harnesses, are also types of PPE and are covered in more detail elsewhere in guidance. PPE should be regarded as a last resort if risks to health and safety cannot be adequately controlled in other ways.

To avoid unsuitable selection, fire and rescue service risk assessments should define the specific PPE required for an activity. If more than one item of PPE is to be worn, they must be compatible with each other and adequately control the risks when used together. This information should be communicated to relevant personnel.

During protracted incidents, or when making up equipment, personnel may be inclined to relax PPE; incident commanders should be vigilant and base any decision to downgrade the need for PPE on an assessment of residual risk.

PPE must be maintained in good working order and correctly stored when not in use. If PPE has become dirty, contaminated or damaged it may not perform to the standard required or expected. PPE should only be worn if it has been subject to appropriate cleaning, decontamination and testing processes that are in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Fire and rescue services should ensure they have suitable arrangements in place to replenish supplies of PPE that are no longer in good working order, or are of a disposable type.

For legislative requirements, refer to:

For further information on respiratory protective equipment refer to Respiratory protective equipment.

Strategic Actions

Tactical Actions