Welfare and low temperatures

[BAJR Host]

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended)

These Regulations require that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways.

Suitable PPE should be provided for workers where a risk assessment shows it to be necessary. The provision and use of wet or cold weather clothing may be particularly important where workers are required to work outdoors

Cold environments
The employer should:
* Ensure the personal protective equipment PDF[1] issued is appropriate
* Provision of mobile facilities for warming up, and encourage the drinking of warm fluids such as soup or hot chocolate
* Introduce more frequent rest breaks
* Can work be delayed and undertaken at warmer times of the year without compromising on safety
* Educate workers about recognising the early symptoms of cold stress.


Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 employers are required to carry out workplace risk assessments, so enabling them to select the most appropriate means of reducing any identified risks to an acceptable level. Employers should eliminate or minimise risks as close as possible to the source of the risk, thereby protecting everyone in the workplace. PPE should always be regarded as the ‘last resort’ for protection from risk as it only protects the wearer and can be compromised, e.g. by not being worn or being used incorrectly.


Please read the following
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg174.pdf

which is not that much good at this issue... but introduces you to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1992/Uksi_19923139_en_1.htm


Key Paragraphs are here:

Interpretation
2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, "personal protective equipment" means all equipment (including clothing affording protection against the weather) which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his health or safety, and any addition or accessory designed to meet that objective.

and

Provision of personal protective equipment
4.—(1) Every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to his employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective.

(2) Every self-employed person shall ensure that he is provided with suitable personal protective equipment where he may be exposed to a risk to his health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (1) and (2), personal protective equipment shall not be suitable unless—

• (a) it is appropriate for the risk or risks involved and the conditions at the place where exposure to the risk may occur;
  

• (b) it takes account of ergonomic requirements and the state of health of the person or persons who may wear it;
  

• © it is capable of fitting the wearer correctly, if necessary, after adjustments within the range for which it is designed;
  

• (d) so far as is practicable, it is effective to prevent or adequately control the risk or risks involved without increasing overall risk;
  

• (e) it complies with any enactment (whether in an Act or instrument) which implements in Great Britain any provision on design or manufacture with respect to health or safety in any relevant Community directive listed in Schedule 1 which is applicable to that item of personal protective equipment.
  

see also

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993
http://www.hseni.gov.uk/personal_protect...t_work.pdf


as a coda... this is exactly the sort of thing that a union rep could help deal with... but until then.... stay safe! If you are NOT receiving any of these... bet you wish you were in a union!