Construction is, understandably, a highly-regulated industry. Construction sites of all sizes present high levels of risk to those that work or visit them – and, even with the comprehensive regulations put in place to protect workers, have resulted in 51 avoidable deaths in 2023-24.
These tragic casualties illustrate all the more the importance of protective measures on work sites, and personal protective equipment (or PPE) is a vital part of any safety ecosystem. What does the average construction business need to understand about PPE, and about the regulations surrounding it?
Understanding Safety Regulations
Before getting to the subject of safety workwear itself, it is important to gain a base understanding of the regulations in place around PPE and worker safety. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is a foundational piece of safety legislation, enshrining a worker’s right to a safe place of work and enabling additional regulations to follow; in 1992, the UK gets a dedicated piece of legislation relating to safety wear, in the form of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.
The 1974 act makes mention of PPE, and provides that employers do not cause employees to pay for their own safety equipment. The 1992 goes further, describing the importance of risk assessment to define when and what PPE is necessary for protection during a given task or activity.
Essential Types of Protective Gear
But what safety equipment is there for employees to utilise? PPE options are comprehensive and varied, with some form of workwear or accessory for practically every immediate risk a worker can face. Amongst the most common forms of PPE are footwear items; site work boots protect the feet from a variety of hazards, whether falling materials or sharps on the ground. There are specialised versions for different workers, too, with electricians availing of work boots that isolate them from the ground.
Another common sight on construction sites is the hard hat, an item of protective headgear that protects from falling debris or strikes to the head. Equally, eye goggles or safety glasses protect from falling or flying materials, especially from destructive activities like drilling. The list continues, but each form of PPE can be essentially categorised by the body part it protects: headwear, facewear, eyewear, etc.
Choosing the Right PPE
There are numerous factors at play in choosing the right PPE for a given task or environment, beyond the basics of the task and direct recommendations of any risk assessment. For one, different types of the same task may require different levels of material durability; drilling concrete in an active construction site is different from precision-drilling stud walls in a heated home, and even more so if inclement weather is at play. In one situation, heavy-duty gloves with low manoeuvrability would suit better than in the other.
