Over the years, the development of health and safety culture has, for all of its many detractors, helped workers in the UK to avoid injury, illness and death. Making a workplace safer means doing many things well.
You’ll need to put in place a policy for risk assessments, conducting them regularly and implementing their findings. You’ll need to train your staff so that they have the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe. But perhaps most conspicuously, you’ll also need to provide your workers with the equipment they need.
What is PPE?
Personal protective equipment can play a crucial role in protecting workers from avoidable harm. It comes in many forms. On a construction site, for example, workers might be expected to wear high-vis jackets, heavy boots, eye protection, and a hard hat. In a hospital during a pandemic, on the other hand, facemasks might be what’s called for.
Some of the hazards we’re protecting ourselves against are subtle, with their effects only becoming apparent after years of exposure. You might think of fine particles, which can drive cancer rates if inhaled. Or, you might think of loud noises, which can destroy hearing over years of exposure.
Legal implications if companies don’t provide correct PPE
If you’re running a business, you have a duty to provide a safe working environment. In practical terms, this means that, if your risk assessments reveal that PPE is necessary for the environment to be safe, then you need to provide the PPE, free of charge.
Fail to provide the appropriate equipment, and you could face a fine of up to £20,000. If the health and safety failure puts lives at risk, then the fine could be unlimited. It’s also worth considering the personal injury claims made against the business by individuals. If you haven’t implemented best practices, then you are vulnerable to this kind of legal action.
Measures companies can take to ensure PPE compliance
So, how do you stay on the right side of the law? Obviously, you’ll need to provide the appropriate PPE. What this is will be revealed by the risk assessments you’ve conducted, ideally with the help of an expert third party.
When you’re conducting your risk assessment, you should look at whether a proposed piece of equipment is suitable. Factor in not only the risks you’re helping to eliminate, but any risks that might actually be exacerbated by the wearing of the wrong PPE. For example, if you’re insisting that gloves be worn, you’ll want to factor in the risks of wearing gloves while operating machinery, or performing fine-detail tasks.
Employers also have a duty to ensure that the PPE they provide is up to standard, and that it is regularly cleaned and maintained. Put in place a schedule for doing this, and assign responsibility as appropriate.
