*Sponsored content from Citation.
Changes to the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 (PPER) came into force on 6 April, becoming the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2022.
But what are the changes more specifically? And how do they affect you as an employer?
Health & Safety and HR & Employment Law experts, Citation, provide hands-on compliance support to thousands of construction, manufacturing and engineering businesses across the UK.
Their Health & Safety Service Director, Lee Mills, outlines what you need to know about the latest PPE regulations in this quick article.
What are the changes?
The idea of these PPE changes is to extend the Health & Safety responsibilities of employers when it comes to PPE, taking into account a broader definition of ‘worker’ and requiring employers to provide PPE free of charge (and training on using that PPE) to these workers.
As a result, the regulations now take into account those workers who:
- Have a contract of employment - These are ‘employees’, who are covered by Section 2 of the Health and Safety At Work etc. Act 1974 and also by the existing PPE regulations. There’s no changes to your duties to employees – so you should continue to provide high-quality PPE in line with the risks identified within your risk assessments, free of charge.
- May not have a formalised contract of employment – The regulations now account for workers who may not have a formalised contract of employment and who are engaged in a more ‘casual’ way.
What do these PPE changes mean for you?
Put simply, the PPE regulation changes in PPER 2022 are centred around a definition of ‘workers’ that replaces the old terminology of ‘employee’ used in the 1992 regulations.
This means that your duties haven’t changed for those on a direct contract of employment (your ‘employees’). However, more people may now fall into the category of ‘worker’, so if you’re contracting or engaging these people to complete works on a personal basis, you might have to provide PPE and training on the use of that PPE.
For those who are genuinely self-employed, there’s no requirement for the person contracting the work to provide them with PPE.
In summary, all workers (including employees and those who previously were regarded as ‘casual’ and similar terms) must now be provided with PPE and trained on using that PPE, unless they are genuinely self-employed.
Need support with the PPE regulation changes?
Citation have a handy free guide to employment status and your Health & Safety obligations, which is a great starting point for navigating the confusing world of employment status.
Check it out here.
But ideally we’d recommend talking to an expert directly – which is why we suggest you partner with Citation. Their HR & Employment Law and Health & Safety experts are available 24/7 to chat through your business’ compliance needs – anything from new legislation changes to day-to-day compliance concerns.
As well as this, you’ll also benefit from best-practice templates in their online compliance platform, Atlas, helping you master everything from risk assessments to contracts, alongside tribunal support, on-site visits, and much more.
As an FMB member, you can access member benefits and preferential rates when partnering with Citation. Simply call 0345 844 1111 or email hello@citation.co.uk and quote “The Federation of Master Builders” to take advantage of your exclusive benefits.
*Disclaimer: This blog post is sponsored content, which is independent of the FMB. Publication does not constitute endorsement or recommendation from the FMB.
