UK Statutory Instrument SI 1992 United Kingdom

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022)

These Regulations impose health and safety requirements with respect to the provision for, and use by, persons at work of personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment is defined in regulation 2(1) and certain types of such equipment are excluded from the application of regulations 4 to 12 by regulation 3(2). …

Read it on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Enforced by
HSE, ONR
Status
In Force
Penalty ceiling
Prosecution 6 of 9 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 3 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Employer4 Self-Employed Person4 Any Person1

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Employer — also bound by 682 other Acts
TULRCA 1992 72 duties
Self-Employed Person — also bound by 80 other Acts
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts

What it requires

Regulations creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

s.004 Provision of personal protective equipment (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Provide suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) to workersSelf-Employed Person

Unlimited fine

s.005 Compatibility of personal protective equipment (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Ensure multiple items of protective equipment are compatibleSelf-Employed Person

Unlimited fine

s.006 Assessment of personal protective equipment (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Assess suitability of PPE before useSelf-Employed Person

Unlimited fine

s.007 Maintenance and replacement of personal protective equipment (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Maintain, clean and repair personal protective equipment (PPE)Employer
s.008 Accommodation for personal protective equipment (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Provide suitable storage for personal protective equipmentSelf-Employed Person

Unlimited fine

s.009 Information, instruction and training (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Provide PPE training and instruction to workersEmployer

Unlimited fine

s.010 Use of personal protective equipment (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) is used and stored correctlyEmployer
s.011 Reporting loss or defect (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Report lost or damaged personal protective equipment (PPE) immediatelyAny Person
7 other provisions — procedural and definitional
s.001 Citation and commencement
s.002 Interpretation
s.003 Disapplication of these Regulations
s.012 Exemption certificates (opens in a new tab)
s.013 Extension outside Great Britain (opens in a new tab)
s.014 Modifications, repeal and revocations (opens in a new tab)
s.modification of the 1974 act Modification of the 1974 Act
Schedules

Schedules

1 of 29 shown
s.002 MODIFICATIONS (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Assess and provide compliant respiratory and protective equipment for lead workEmployer

Unlimited fine

28 other schedules
s.001 RELEVANT COMMUNITY DIRECTIVES (opens in a new tab)
s.003 REVOCATIONS (opens in a new tab)
s.sch001 Council Directive 89/686/ EEC on the approximation of the laws...
s.sch001 Council Directive 93/42/ EEC concerning medical devices ( OJ No....
s.sch002 In section 30(6), for “breathing apparatus of a type approved...
s.sch002 In regulation 9, for sub-paragraph (b), substitute the following sub-paragraph—...
s.sch002 At the end of regulation 13, add the following new...
s.sch002 In regulation 18(2), omit the full stop and add “and...
s.sch002 In regulation 23(1), after “that respiratory protective equipment”, insert “complies...
s.sch002 After regulation 23(1), insert the following paragraphs—
s.sch002 Add at the end of regulation 23 the following additional...
s.sch002 In regulation 8(3), after “shall” the first time that word...
s.sch002 Insert the following new paragraph after regulation 8(3)—
s.sch002 In regulation 20(2), omit the fullstop and add “and that...
s.sch002 In regulation 7, after paragraph (3), insert the following new...
s.sch002 In Schedule 1, in regulation 23(a), for “breathing apparatus of...
s.sch002 In regulation 7, in paragraph (6)(b), insert at the beginning...
s.sch002 In regulation 8(2), after “these regulations”, insert “and shall take...
s.sch002 Add the following paragraphs at the end of regulation 3—...
s.sch002 For regulation 6(4), substitute the following paragraph—
s.sch002 In regulation 9(2), omit the full stop and add “and...
s.sch002 In Schedule 1, in regulation 23(b), for “smoke helmets or...
s.sch002 In Schedule 1, in regulation 24(a), for “smoke helmet or...
s.sch002 In each of regulations 50, 51(1) and 60(1), for “breathing...
s.sch002 In regulation 10(a), for “dust respirators of a type approved...
s.sch002 In regulation 7— (a) after “respiratory protective equipment”, insert “which...
s.sch002 In regulation 8, for “adequate protective clothing”, substitute “protective clothing...
s.sch002 After regulation 8, insert the following new regulations— Compliance with...

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

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Responding to CDM enforcement action

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Meet workplace health and safety requirements

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Run a construction business

Ongoing compliance, site safety, and operational requirements for established construction businesses

Grow your construction business

Scale your construction business - win public contracts, build your workforce, achieve accreditations, and manage subcontractors at scale

Construction materials regulatory compliance

Learning path covering the regulatory obligations for construction materials in Great Britain. Understand product marking (CE and UKCA), hazardous materials management under …

PPE compliance checklist

A yes/no checklist to verify your business meets all requirements under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022). …

Select and fit test respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

How to select the right respiratory protective equipment for your workplace hazards and ensure it is properly fit tested. Covers hazard identification, …
5 more guides that reference this instrument
Comply with PPE regulations Construction Site Health and Safety Environmental compliance for construction sites Manage hazardous construction materials Control respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust in the workplace

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.