Personal Protective Equipment

From a hard hat to a full ensemble, it is vital that you select and use the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to make sure you get full protection. PPE is the last line of defence against many hazards. Getting it wrong can make it ineffective, and could result in injury, ill-health or, potentially, death.

Our PPE specialists can help you to choose the correct PPE for the job. We have extensive experience of working with a range of industries and carrying out research and investigations for wider HSE.

With our knowledge of PPE issues and our understanding of ergonomics, physiology and human behaviour, we can offer you bespoke solutions tailored to your working environment. We strive to make sure that workers are safe, whilst still being able to perform their job well.

How can we help?

• Assess your workplace hazards and provide bespoke advice on effective PPE solutions
• Help you choose the correct respiratory protection for your workers
• Advise on the suitability of protective gloves for a specific task
• Check that combinations of PPE methods work effectively together
• Suggest methods to improve your PPE
• Assess the performance of people and PPE under a range of stressful conditions, such as high or low temperature, high humidity or water pressure
• Evaluate how the PPE used affects wearers' comfort and ability to do their work

We can provide cost-effective training tailored to your needs - either bespoke or on our standard courses. Training is available both for those who have to use PPE and those responsible for specifying and managing PPE use. All our fit test work is provided by Fit2Fit accredited fit test providers.

"Nothing could have gone any smoother; the trainers were fantastic and brimmed with technical knowledge but also gave down to earth 'working' solutions that can be applied in the workplace. In one word: fantastic. I would thoroughly recommend [this] great organisation! Please keep providing training, there is no service and training provider like [HSE]."

Richard Browne, Care UK

Our PPE team also provides:

• Testing of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) to European standards (gas and particulates)
• A range of RPE testing including flame, mechanical strength, measurement of air-flow rate and bespoke filter testing
• Protection and practical performance testing on volunteers, using ethics committee approved procedures
• Assessment PPE performance in the workplace

The British Safety Industry Federation (BSiF), along with HSE and other industry stakeholders, have developed the Fit2Fit RPE Fit Test Providers Accreditation Scheme. Membership of the scheme is designed to confirm the competency of any person performing facepiece fit testing.

Watch Nick Baxter, PPE and RPE specialist at HSE's Science and Research Centre, explain the factors that can compromise the effectiveness of respiratory protective face masks.

Can't see the video? View it here.

Contact us

To discuss your PPE requirements, please contact TestingEnquiries@hse.gov.uk