PPE Selection Guide for Tradespeople

Quick Answer: Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 — extended in April 2022 to cover "limb (b)" workers as well as employees — PPE must be selected as the last control in the hierarchy, after eliminating or controlling the hazard at source. It must be suitable for the hazard, the wearer and the task, CE or UKCA marked, compatible when worn together, and properly maintained. The headline PPE risks for trades are eyes, hands, feet, head, hearing and lungs — and the lungs are the one most often under-protected.

Summary

PPE is the most visible part of site safety and the most misunderstood. It is the last line of defence, not the first. The law requires hazards to be eliminated or controlled at source before PPE is even considered — you suppress the dust, you guard the blade, you isolate the noise — and PPE only addresses the risk that remains. A site where everyone is in full PPE but nobody has controlled the dust at source is not a safe site; it is a site relying entirely on its weakest control.

The 2022 amendment to the PPE at Work Regulations matters for the trades because it extended the employer's PPE duties to cover "limb (b)" workers — broadly, those who are not employees but work personally under someone's control — closing a gap that previously left many site workers and labour-only subcontractors outside the protection. It does not change the duty on the genuinely self-employed, who must provide and use suitable PPE for their own work under the wider health and safety law.

The practical job is selection. PPE that is the wrong specification, the wrong size, incompatible with the other items worn, uncomfortable, or poorly maintained, is PPE that fails — usually by being taken off. The most under-protected area in the trades is respiratory: a cheap nuisance-dust mask worn for silica or wood dust gives a false sense of safety, when the work needs FFP3 protection, face-fit tested, backed by source control. This guide covers selection by body area and the rules that make PPE actually work.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Body area Hazard Typical PPE Standard
Eyes Flying particles, grinding Impact safety glasses / goggles BS EN 166
Eyes Dust Sealed goggles BS EN 166
Eyes Chemical splash Splash goggles BS EN 166
Lungs Nuisance dust (low) FFP2 BS EN 149
Lungs Silica, hardwood dust FFP3 / P3 reusable, face-fit tested BS EN 149 / EN 140
Lungs Solvent vapour Half-mask with A-type filters BS EN 14387
Lungs Isocyanate spray Air-fed RPE BS EN 14594
Head Falling objects Safety helmet BS EN 397
Head Work at height Helmet with chin strap BS EN 12492
Hearing Power tool noise Plugs/defenders matched to level BS EN 352
Feet Impact, penetration, wet Safety boots S3 BS EN ISO 20345
Hands Cut/abrasion Cut-resistant gloves BS EN 388
Hands Chemical/cement Waterproof/chemical gloves BS EN 374
Body General site Hi-vis where vehicles present BS EN ISO 20471
Knees Kneeling work Knee pads / trouser inserts —

Detailed Guidance

The hierarchy — why PPE comes last

Every control above PPE removes or reduces the hazard itself; PPE only reduces the harm if the hazard still reaches the worker. PPE fails in ways the higher controls do not — it can be the wrong spec, badly fitted, incompatible, uncomfortable, damaged, or simply not worn at the moment the hazard arrives. It also protects only the wearer, not anyone else nearby. So the law requires it last: control the dust at source and the FFP3 becomes a backup; rely on the FFP3 alone and one missed mask is a lungful of silica. Use PPE for the residual risk, and never as a substitute for fixing the job.

Respiratory — the under-protected area

RPE is where trades most often get it wrong, because the consequences are invisible for years. Key selection rules:

Eyes — match the protection to the hazard

"Safety glasses" is not a specification. The protection must match: basic impact glasses for general flying debris; higher impact-grade goggles or a face shield for grinding and cutting; sealed goggles for dust; splash goggles for chemicals. Grinding without proper eye protection is one of the most common causes of serious eye injury on site, and a face shield over glasses is the norm for that work — the shield protects the face, the glasses protect the eyes if the shield is lifted.

Head, feet and hands

Head: an industrial safety helmet to EN 397 for general falling-object risk; a climbing-type helmet to EN 12492 with a chin strap for work at height where the helmet must stay on in a fall. Helmets have a service life and must be replaced after any significant impact even if they look intact.

Feet: S3-rated safety footwear is the common construction specification — 200J toecap, midsole penetration resistance (against nails), and water resistance. Match to the environment; ankle support and slip resistance matter on uneven ground.

Hands: there is no universal glove. Cut-resistant gloves (rated to EN 388) for handling sheet metal, blades and sharp materials; waterproof/chemical gloves (EN 374) for wet cement, solvents and adhesives; thermal gloves for hot work. The wrong glove is sometimes worse than none — a loose glove near a rotating tool is a serious entanglement hazard, so gloves are often not worn on drills, lathes and bench tools.

Compatibility, fit and maintenance

PPE worn together must work together. The classic failure is the head: a hard hat, eye protection, ear defenders and RPE all competing for space, none of them sealing properly. Select compatible items as a set — helmet-mounted defenders and visors, RPE that works with eye protection. Fit matters: PPE issued in one size protects only the people that size fits. And PPE must be maintained — inspected before use, kept clean, stored out of damage and UV, and replaced when damaged or past its service life. PPE that is uncomfortable, ill-fitting or filthy is PPE that gets left off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the employer have to pay for PPE?

Yes. Where an employer is required to provide PPE, it must be provided free of charge — the cost cannot be passed to the employee, and since the 2022 amendment this also covers "limb (b)" workers, not just employees. A genuinely self-employed tradesperson buys their own PPE, because they are providing it for their own work — but they still have a legal duty to have and use suitable PPE.

Is a standard dust mask enough for cutting concrete or sanding wood?

No. Cutting concrete, brick and stone generates respirable crystalline silica, and sanding hardwood or MDF generates carcinogenic wood dust. Both need FFP3 (or a reusable half-mask with P3 filters), face-fit tested and worn clean-shaven at the seal. A nuisance/comfort dust mask, or even an FFP2, is not adequate protection for these. And the mask is the backup — the primary control is stopping the dust at source with water or on-tool extraction.

How do I know if my PPE is up to standard?

It must carry UKCA marking (CE marking has been accepted during the transition — check the current position when buying) and meet the relevant British/European standard for the hazard: EN 166 for eye protection, EN 149 for filtering facepieces, EN 397 or EN 12492 for helmets, EN ISO 20345 for footwear, EN 388 for cut-resistant gloves. The marking tells you it is certified; selection tells you it is the right certified item for your hazard.

Can I wear gloves when using a drill or grinder?

Generally no for rotating tools. A glove caught by a drill bit, grinding disc or rotating spindle drags the hand into the machine — gloves are a recognised entanglement hazard with such tools, and the usual rule is no gloves on drills, grinders and bench machinery. Protect the hands instead by controlling the hazard (guards, secure workpiece) and wearing eye and face protection. Gloves are for handling materials, not for operating rotating equipment.

Regulations & Standards