Personal protective equipment regulations
The Construction (Personal Protective Equipment) Regulations 2002 applies to workers in the construction industry.
However, you are still entitled to receive PPE if you work in other industries where you are exposed to risks from your job which cannot be controlled in any other way.
Personal protective equipment includes:
- hard hats
- safety shoes
- high-vis clothing
- any other PPE identified in a risk assessment
Guidance on the construction (personal protective equipment) regulations
Employer's duty to provide hard hats, safety shoes and other PPE
An assessment of the work must be carried out. If the assessment identifies that you need to wear hard hat, goggles or other personal protective equipment whilst carrying out your work activities, your employer should provide it.
Whatever industry you work in, your employer has a duty to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, you are not exposed to risks to your health and safety.
Requirement to pay for personal protective equipment
If a risk assessment identifies that PPE is required, the employer should provide the equipment and pay for it.
In certain circumstances, the employer is likely to choose to pay only a portion of the cost of the PPE, e.g. where safety shoes are required to be worn, as normally you would provide your own footwear.
The employer will usually pay for a basic pair of safety shoes or boots with the employee paying the difference if he chooses an alternative.
If the employer does pay for the PPE, there is no requirement to pay for replacements if the original equipment is lost or damaged through misuse.
Employee's duty to wear the PPE provided
As an employee in the construction industry, you have a duty under the law and the regulations to make sure that you wear any PPE provided to you by your employer, to enable them to comply with their duties.
Guidance on the Construction (Jersey) Regulations 2016
gov.je