PPE & COSHH Rules UK: Employer Duties Explained

Overview

PPE is the kit an employer provides to protect workers from risks that cannot be removed or sufficiently reduced by other means. Think hard hats on a construction site, gloves in a kitchen handling chemicals, ear defenders in a noisy workshop, goggles in a lab, or high-visibility jackets on a warehouse floor.

It is a last line of defence, used once risks have been reduced as far as reasonably practicable through better processes, guarding, ventilation or substitution. COSHH, by contrast, is the framework for managing substances that can damage health, whether they are cleaning products, solvents, welding fumes, flour dust or biological agents.

A COSHH assessment looks at what is being used or generated, who might be exposed, how exposure could happen, and what needs to change so the risk is brought down to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable. Together, PPE and COSHH form a large part of any serious workplace health and safety system in the UK.

Key steps

1. Map the hazards in your workplace. Before you can decide what PPE or COSHH controls you need, walk the site and list every activity that could cause harm. Talk to the people doing the work, because they often spot risks managers miss. Record machinery, substances, noise, dust, manual handling and working at height, so nothing is left off.
2. Carry out and record your risk assessments. Each hazard needs a written assessment that sets out who might be harmed, how serious the harm could be, and what you are doing to control it. For hazardous substances this becomes a COSHH assessment. Keep the documents accessible, review them when things change, and date every version so you can show progress over time.
3. Reduce risk at source before relying on PPE. The law expects you to eliminate or engineer out risk where you can. That might mean swapping a harmful chemical for a safer one, installing local exhaust ventilation, guarding machinery, or changing how a task is done. PPE should come in only when those higher-level controls cannot fully deal with the remaining risk.
4. Select, issue and maintain suitable PPE. Once PPE is needed, choose kit that actually fits the task, the environment and the individual wearing it. Issue it free of charge, make sure it is compatible when several items are worn together, and put arrangements in place for cleaning, inspection, storage and replacement. Keep a simple record of what has been issued and when.
5. Train people and keep checking. Equipment and policies only work if staff understand them. Train workers on why controls exist, how to use PPE correctly, how to spot defects, and what to do if something goes wrong. Supervise, audit and refresh that training regularly, and update your assessments whenever processes, products or people change.

Common questions