Personal protective equipment is not just for construction sites and chemical plants. If your business exposes anyone to flying particles, loud noise, hazardous substances, or falling objects, you have a legal duty to provide the basic PPE your company needs and make sure it is used, whether or not you have received business mentoring for women. Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended), UK employers must assess risks and supply suitable PPE free of charge when hazards cannot be controlled by other means.
According to HSE data for 2023/24, around 1.4 million workers in Great Britain were suffering from work-related ill health and a further 604,000 sustained a non-fatal injury. The total cost to Britain of workplace injury and ill health reached £21.6 billion in 2022/23, based on HSE estimates. Effective start-up support for women in trades, manufacturing, logistics, or any hands-on sector should include getting PPE right, as it protects people, reduces claims, and keeps operations running.
Why PPE is still a core control, not a leftover from the pandemic
The 2021 article opened with masks and COVID-19, but PPE has always been a baseline health and safety control. The hierarchy of controls puts elimination, substitution, and engineering controls first. PPE sits at the bottom because it protects the individual only when everything else fails. That does not make it optional. It makes it the final barrier between a worker and a serious injury.
HSE makes clear that PPE must be provided and maintained by the employer at no cost to the worker. You cannot ask staff to buy their own safety boots, gloves, or high-visibility jackets and reimburse them later as a favour. The equipment must be suitable for the risk, properly fitted, compatible with other kit, and correctly stored.
The main types of basic PPE your company needs
The right PPE depends on your risk assessment, but most small businesses will need one or more of the following categories.
Head, eye, and face protection
Hard hats protect against falling objects on construction, warehousing, and forestry sites. Safety goggles and face shields guard against chemical splashes, dust, and flying debris. If workers wear prescription glasses, you must provide eye protection that fits over them or prescription safety specs.
Hearing protection in noisy workplaces
Earplugs or earmuffs are required when noise reaches 85 decibels or above as a daily or weekly average, the upper exposure action value set by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. At 80 decibels, the lower action value, you must provide hearing protection on request and make it available.
Hand and arm protection
Gloves resist cuts, chemicals, heat, vibration, and biological agents. A single pair will not cover every task. Cut-resistant gloves for glass handling, chemical gauntlets for cleaning, and anti-vibration gloves for power-tool use are all different products with different standards.
Foot and leg protection
Safety boots with toe caps, slip-resistant soles, and penetration-resistant midsoles are standard on building sites. Knee pads, gaiters, and chainsaw trousers may be needed for specific trades. Footwear must fit properly; loose boots cause trips and falls.
Respiratory protective equipment and fit testing
Respirators, disposable masks, and powered hoods protect against dusts, fumes, gases, and biological hazards. Fit testing is legally required for tight-fitting facepieces under HSE guidance, and facial hair, makeup, and poor fit can all break the seal.
High-visibility and whole-body protection
Hi-vis clothing is essential where vehicles or moving plant operate. Boiler suits, chemical aprons, and disposable coveralls protect against splashes, contamination, and extreme temperatures. In cold weather, thermal layers should not compromise the visibility or fit of outer PPE.
How to choose PPE that is legal and effective
Start with a written risk assessment. Identify the hazard, who is exposed, for how long, and to what level. Then select PPE that controls the residual risk after you have removed or reduced the hazard by other means.
Check the marking. In Great Britain, PPE must carry the UKCA mark to show it meets the relevant designated standards. In Northern Ireland, the CE mark or the UKNI mark continues to apply under the Windsor Framework. Be cautious of stock that carries only a CE mark if you are supplying workers in England, Scotland, or Wales after the 2024 transition periods.
Other selection criteria include:
- Size and fit for the individual, including women and smaller-framed workers
- Compatibility when multiple items are worn together, such as respirators and safety glasses
- Comfort and adjustability, because uncomfortable kit is often removed
- Visibility, dexterity, and communication needs of the task
The PPE fit problem for women in trades
Women still make up only around 15% of the UK construction workforce, according to CITB and ONS estimates, and many report that standard PPE is designed for male body shapes. Oversized hi-vis jackets, hard hats that slip, and gloves with too-long fingers are not just uncomfortable. They create real safety risks, from impaired grip to blocked vision.
If you employ women in manual trades, source women-specific ranges or adjustable unisex kit, and involve staff in the selection process. The Building a Successful Career as a Woman in Manual Trades article on Prowess covers how fit, confidence, and safety intersect on site.
Using, storing, and replacing PPE
Once you have chosen the right equipment, you must train workers in when and how to use it, what its limitations are, and how to spot damage. Safety signs can reinforce the rules, but signs alone do not satisfy your legal duty.
Store PPE in a clean, dry place away from sunlight and chemicals. Keep a simple stock log that records issue dates, expected lifespan, and replacement dates. Some items, such as disposable masks and certain gloves, are single-use. Others, like harnesses and hard hats, have manufacturer-defined service lives and must be withdrawn after an impact or expiry.
Record-keeping and legal duties
Good records protect you as much as they protect your staff. Keep your risk assessment, training records, PPE issue log, and inspection reports together. If you are a small business owner handling your own business admin, this is one area where tidy paperwork really matters.
Self-employed people who employ others are covered by the same duties as larger employers. If you work alone, you are still responsible for your own safety and for choosing suitable PPE for any subcontractors or visitors under your control.
Action steps for safer PPE use
- Review your risk assessment and identify where PPE is the last line of defence.
- Check that all current PPE carries the correct marking: UKCA in Great Britain, CE or UKNI in Northern Ireland.
- Audit fit for every worker, especially women and anyone who has reported discomfort.
- Train staff on correct use, limitations, and storage, and keep a written record.
- Set a replacement schedule and keep a PPE issue log so nothing slips out of date.
Basic PPE your company needs is not a one-off purchase. It is part of a living safety system that starts with risk assessment, continues with training and maintenance, and ends with properly protected people. For the latest figures on women running businesses across the UK, see our Women in Business: Key UK Facts page.
