The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (“the PPER 2022”) were laid before Parliament on 10 January 2022.

Employers’ responsibilities to workers regarding the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work are changing from 6 April 2022.

The Regulations extend employers and employees duties in respect of personal protective equipment to workers.

What is PPE?

PPE is defined in the 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.”

What does this mean for employers? 

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 place a duty on every employer in Great Britain to ensure that suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to ‘employees’ who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work.

The PPER 2022 extends this duty to workers and comes into force on 6 April 2022. Employers need to carefully consider whether the changes to UK law apply to them and their workforce and make the necessary preparations to comply.

What does this mean for workers?

If a risk assessment indicates a worker requires PPE to carry out their work activities, the employer must carry out a PPE suitability assessment and provide the PPE free of charge as they do for employees.

The employer will be responsible for the maintenance, storage and replacement of any PPE they provide, and as a worker, you will be required to report loss and defects in the PPE which they are provided, use the PPE in accordance with the training and instruction provided, and to ensure PPE is returned to the accommodation provided by the employer.

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 interim guidance

HSE has prepared interim PPER 2022 guidance to help employers identify whether they and their workforce may be impacted by the changes and explains what employers may need to do to prepare for the changes.

HSE Bulletin

Issued: 11 January 2022

Can you help HSE test a new online employer service aimed at providing advice and guidance on managing health and disability in the workplace?

Many employers are currently facing challenges in recruiting the people they need to help their business thrive. It has never been more important for those employers to keep and develop the people they already have.

It’s therefore crucial that businesses have the tools they need to prevent long-term absence and avoidable job loss because of ill health or disability.

The government is testing a new online service for employers which provides advice and guidance on managing health and disability in the workplace. This explains your legal obligations and good practice

This may be particularly helpful for smaller businesses without an in-house HR function or access to an occupational health service.

HSE are supporting the development of this service and we’d like your help to test it.

By taking part, you’ll receive free information and guidance on disability and health-related employment issues. You could use it to help manage a current case, or simply take a look around the site to see what’s useful and Identify improvements.

However you choose to take part, your feedback will be vital in the future development of the service. You will make a real difference, ensuring the new service is user-friendly and meets the needs of your business and your employees. To make your feedback count, please make sure to complete the user survey.

How to take part

• Visit the online employer service
• To provide feedback on the service fill in this survey