{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/personal-protective-equipment-at-work-regulations-1992/regulation-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/personal-protective-equipment-at-work-regulations-1992/regulation-4.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1992/2966",
  "legislation_title": "The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/personal-protective-equipment-at-work-regulations-1992",
  "path": "regulation/4",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Provision of personal protective equipment",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraph (1A), every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to their workers 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.\n(1A) Where the characteristics of any policing activity are such that compliance by the relevant officer with the requirement in paragraph (1) would lead to an inevitable conflict with the exercise of police powers or performance of police duties, that requirement shall be complied with so far as is reasonably practicable.\n(2) Every relevant self-employed person shall ensure that they are provided with suitable personal protective equipment where they 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.\n(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (1) and (2), personal protective equipment shall not be suitable unless—\n(a) it is appropriate for the risk or risks involved, the conditions at the place where exposure to the risk may occur, and the period for which it is worn;\n(b) it takes account of ergonomic requirements and the state of health of the person or persons who may wear it, and of the characteristics of the workstation of each such person;\n(c) it is capable of fitting the wearer correctly, if necessary, after adjustments within the range for which it is designed;\n(d) so far as is practicable, it is effective to prevent or adequately control the risk or risks involved without increasing overall risk;\n(e) it complies with any legal requirement which is applicable to that item of personal protective equipment.\n(4) Where it is necessary to ensure that personal protective equipment is hygienic and otherwise free of risk to health, every employer and every relevant self-employed person shall ensure that personal protective equipment provided under this regulation is provided to a person for use only by them.\n(5) In paragraph (3)(e), “any legal requirement” means any requirement of—\n(a) an 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; or\n(b) Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council on personal protective equipment and repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC ....",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 4(1) inserted (14.4.1999) by The Police (Health and Safety) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/860), regs. 1, 4(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in reg. 4 substituted (6.4.2022) by The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/8), regs. 1, 6(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Reg. 4(1A) inserted (14.4.1999) by The Police (Health and Safety) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/860), regs. 1, 4(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in Regulations substituted (1.10.2015) by The Deregulation Act 2015 (Health and Safety at Work) (General Duties of Self-Employed Persons) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1637), art. 1, Sch. para. 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in reg. 4 substituted (6.4.2022) by The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/8), regs. 1, 6(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in reg. 4 substituted (6.4.2022) by The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/8), regs. 1, 6(e)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in reg. 4 substituted (6.4.2022) by The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/8), regs. 1, 6(k)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Reg. 4(3)(a)(b) substituted (17.9.2002) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2174), regs. 1, 5(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Reg. 4(3)(e) substituted (21.4.2018) by The Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/390), reg. 1(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(a) (with reg. 2(1)-(3))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Reg. 4(4) added (17.9.2002) by The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2174), regs. 1, 5(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Word in reg. 4 substituted (6.4.2022) by The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/8), regs. 1, 6(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Reg. 4(5) inserted (21.4.2018) by The Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/390), reg. 1(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(b) (with reg. 2(1)-(3))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in reg. 4(5)(b) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/696), reg. 1, Sch. 35 para. 2(2) (as amended by S.I. 2020/676, regs. 1(1), 2, 3); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Reg. 4(3)(e) restricted (temp.) (1.1.1995) by The Personal Protective Equipment (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2326), regs. 1(3), 5"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 4 in force at 1.1.1993, see reg. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/2966/regulation/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T14:11:09.984348+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}