General PPE Requirements

Understanding PPE regulations and workwear safety

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General Manufacturing Uniforms Workwear

All workwear and PPE used in the workplace need to adhere to strict regulations. When selecting garments, it is vital to understand what is required to keep your employees safe for the different environments they may be working in.

All of CLEAN’s PPE workwear is fully compliant with the Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and European Directive 89/686/EEC. Our range of garments are tailored towards different environments and as such, include specific certifications and symbols for their intended use.

PPE Regulation (EU)2016/425

By UK law, any PPE that is made available in the GB market must meet certain essential health and safety requirements. Employers must perform a risk assessment in relation to Occupational Health and Safety legislation. This requires employers to create detailed risk assessments which layout the following (in accordance with hse.gov.uk):

What are the hazards?

Who might be harmed and how?

What are you already doing to control the risks?

What further action do you need to take to control the risks?

Who needs to carry out the action?

When is the action needed by?

This process helps determine what functions are required from the PPE and in turn, ensure the appropriate PPE is chosen.

PPE Categories

Three categories exist for PPE based on the relevant levels of risk for your employees.

Category 1 PPE: Minor risk of injury and/or damage. PPE provides protection against superficial injuries whereby they are unlikely to cause irreversible damage (e.g. protection from sun, rain and non-hazardous chemicals)

Category 2 PPE: Major risk of injury and/or damage. PPE provides protection against serious injuries and damage that may cause irreversible damage (e.g. heat/flame)