Tool Box Talk PPE Use

Introduction.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is intended to protect you from risks, which cannot be
eliminated or guarded against by other more effective means. PPE is defined as all equipment which
is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against risks to his health
or safety, e.g. gloves, eye protection, high visibility clothing, safety footwear

Importance of topic.
As Your employer we must assess the work you do and take all reasonable steps to eliminate or
reduce risks. If we decide that some risk still remain we must provide you with PPE. Some risks are
always present on Manufacturing sites, hence requiring safety Glasses to be worn in highlighted
areas, at all times.
Regulations and requirements.
The main requirement of the PPE at Work Regulations 1992 is that personal protective equipment is
to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be
adequately controlled in other ways.

Good practice.
You have a duty to wear any PPE provided by your employer and we as your employer have a duty
to see that you do.
You must wear and use the PPE in the way it was intended therefore it must fit you.
If PPE doesnt fit correctly - report it.
PPE must be suitable for the risk and the job in hand if its not report it.
PPE must not itself create a new risk if it does report it.
You have a duty to take care of the PPE and not to abuse it.
You have no right to take the PPE off site unless your employer says you can. Otherwise you must
return it to the appropriate storage place after use.
If you are unsure about how to use PPE (e.g. breathing apparatus) ask for training first. You must
be adequately trained.
If there is anything wrong with the PPE provided e.g. worn out, broken, missing, In need of
maintenance or cleaning etc. you must report it.
Make sure multiple items of PPE worn together are compatible with each other.
. Remember, the law does not expect your boss to be psychic, if you know of a problem regarding
PPE or a risk that you need guarding against TELL YOUR SUPERVISOR ABOUT IT!

Questions.
Question 1 What should you do if your PPE does not fit you?
Question 2 What should you do if you are unsure how to use the PPE provided?
Question 3 Must the employee wear the PPE provided?
Employees are under a duty to ensure their own health and safety and, as a result, must make
appropriate use of all PPE provided, as indeed they must of all control measures identified in the risk
assessment. Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act places a duty on employees to
insure their own health and safety whilst at work; failure to wear personal protective
equipment (as appropriate) is clearly a breach of this duty. Further to this, employees have a
duty under Regulation 10 of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 to
use personal protective equipment appropriately. Employees who persist in not wearing
personal protective equipment may (in certain circumstances) find themselves at risk of
prosecution from enforcing authorities as well as also at risk of disciplinary action from their
employer.
Q4 How far must I go, as an employer, to ensure that an employee is using PPE as
appropriate?
While it is the employees duty to wear the PPE provided as appropriate to the circumstances,
it is the employers responsibility to ensure that personal protective equipment provided by
the employer is worn as and when appropriate. This duty is clearly stated in Regulation 10 of
the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, which states that employers
must take all reasonable steps to ensure that personal protective equipment provided is used,
as appropriate to the circumstances.
This means:
providing the PPE (free of charge),
instructing the employee in the appropriate use of the PPE provided,
taking all reasonable steps to enforce the appropriate use of PPE within the workplace
challenging employees who do not make appropriate use of the PPE provided (this
may involve taking disciplinary action when training and reminding is not effective),
providing suitable storage facilities for the PPE issued to workers.
Question 5 Can I avoid my responsibilities by getting the employee to sign a disclaimer?
Short answer: No.
Under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 the employer has a duty to
ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees so far as is reasonably practicable.
Getting an employee to sign any form of disclaimer to absolve the employer of this
duty will not stand up in court. Failure to manage the health, safety and welfare of
employees, to ensure the appropriate use of control measures and adherence to
policies and procedures is an infringement of Regulation 5 of the Management of
Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This regulation requires employers to
have effective arrangements for the management of health and safety at work. Effective
arrangements, in this context, means working and not merely notional or written.

Summary.

PPE is your last line of defence against a risk or hazard. Make sure PPE fits you properly and
is in good working order. You have a duty to wear any PPE provided by your employer and he
has a duty to see that you do.