Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
01 August 2022
Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes gloves, safety helmets, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, hearing protection and footwear.
Occasionally, there may be a few activities in some church premises where people may need PPE to complete a task safely. This could be for some types of maintenance work inside your church or for other tasks in the churchyard or car park.
Where might PPE be necessary?
PPE might be necessary where:
- stones or other flying debris might be thrown up (e.g. when using a strimmer)
- noisy equipment is used
- corrosive liquids are used for cleaning that could splash in the eyes
- materials or objects may fall from height
- chemicals or pesticides are used in churchyards
- needles and other drug paraphernalia need to be discarded
- traffic needs to be directed at large events.*
*Note: this list is not exhaustive
PPE and health and safety law
If you provide this equipment for others to use, you must make sure that it is safe.
If you are an employer you will need to:
- provide suitable PPE for staff where necessary
- provide staff with instructions on how to use it safely
- make sure that it is used correctly
- ensure that it is properly maintained and stored.
An employer is not permitted to charge for any PPE provided whether returnable or otherwise.
Making sure PPE is safe
To make sure PPE is safe to use, you can check that it:
- carries the ‘CE’ or UKCA mark
- is properly maintained and free from obvious defects or damage
- is properly stored when not in use in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions
- is replaced promptly if it has become damaged.*
*Note: this list is not exhaustive
Want to know more?
For more information about using personal protective equipment, why not download our guide.
