The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 sets out that personal protective equipment (PPE) relates to equipment designed to be worn or held by a person at work to protect against one or more risks. These Regulations aim to ensure that employers provide appropriate PPE to workers* to enable them to conduct their work safely.

 

*Workers include those who work for an employer under a contract of employment (such as traditional employees) or other work contracts (such as freelancers, contractors or agency workers).

 

The Regulations do not apply to forms of PPE detailed within specific Regulations such as those dealing with hazardous substances and radioactive materials.

 

The Regulations do not apply to the master or crew on sea-going ships. In addition, the Secretary of State for Defence may grant exemptions from the Regulations in the interests of national security.

 

Amendment

Employers must provide appropriate free-of-charge personal protective equipment (PPE) to all workers who work for them under contract, such as freelancers, contractors and agency workers, and not only employees. Previously, the Regulations only required PPE to be provided to employees.

Minor technical changes are made updating references to current legislation and making the Regulations gender-neutral. 

 

Link to full government text