P.P.E. Requirements

sweetcarer

My hubby works as a cook.

Yesterday, his shoe lace broke. He mentioned it to his boss who just laughed. So he tied it best he could with half a lace. He wears boots for work (they provided them) that have the steel caps.

Now as I understand P.P.E. (Personal Protective Equipment) his work should provide him with adequate equipment - does this still apply to shoe laces? Where I work I understand P.P.E. quite well but I am unsure how it works in a kitchen, if a lace breaks here the boys can buy new ones themselves and get reimbursed via petty cash.

Is there any other requirements H&S wise his work should know about for a kitchen - they don't sound very clued up. He has only had a basic food hygine check - they didn't issue him with any certificate - which I thought they would.

Thanks for your help

sweetcarer

diable

for the sake of £1.50 can't he just buy the shoelaces himself?

sexki11en

To be fair, even though they supplied him with the boots, I wouldn't expect them to replace laces.

I mean, if a button popped off a shirt which was provided, would you expect them to replace that?

If boots weren't provided, he'd have to supply his own laces anyway.

SK x

bestpud

I wouldn't think laces come into it as they've supplied the boots and it is up to the employee to keep them in a good state of repair.

It wouldn't cross my mind to ask for replacement laces!

I don't know of anyone who would in fact!

dickydonkin

sweetcarer wrote: »

My hubby works as a cook.

Yesterday, his shoe lace broke. He mentioned it to his boss who just laughed. So he tied it best he could with half a lace. He wears boots for work (they provided them) that have the steel caps.

Now as I understand P.P.E. (Personal Protective Equipment) his work should provide him with adequate equipment - does this still apply to shoe laces? Where I work I understand P.P.E. quite well but I am unsure how it works in a kitchen, if a lace breaks here the boys can buy new ones themselves and get reimbursed via petty cash.

Is there any other requirements H&S wise his work should know about for a kitchen - they don't sound very clued up. He has only had a basic food hygine check - they didn't issue him with any certificate - which I thought they would.

Thanks for your help

sweetcarer

If you wish to take section 9 of the Health & Safety at Work Act to its total requirement where an employer may not charge his employees for anything done, or equipment provided for health and safety purposes, then I suppose the employer should pay for the 'maintenance, repair or replacement of any aspect of personal protective equipment and that in theory would include replacing a pair of safety boot laces.

The replacement of safety boot laces or the repair of a high spec respiratory hood for example, both technically come under the same regulations and the employer could potentially be liable for both.

Whether it is really worth the hassle of obtaining receipts and claiming back the costs of a pair of bootlaces is open to debate.

Personally, if £1.50 out of my own pocket reduces the risk of me tripping over while holding a hot pan of fat in a kitchen while debating who should pay for a pair of bootlaces, then really it is a no brainer and worth every penny - irrespective of who ultimately should foot the bill (no pun intended).

for the sake of £1.50 can't he just buy the shoelaces himself

I have to agree with that.

Kate78

bestpud wrote: »

I wouldn't think laces come into it as they've supplied the boots and it is up to the employee to keep them in a good state of repair.

It wouldn't cross my mind to ask for replacement laces!

I don't know of anyone who would in fact!

I think this puts the petty into the phrase "petty cash". :cool:

sweetcarer

I am sorry if I sounded so petty - just concerned for my husband - wouldn't want to him to have an accident. Just his boss laughing and him working night shift - not exactly easy to go out and buy laces right away.

Sorry.

Zazen999

sweetcarer wrote: »

I am sorry if I sounded so petty - just concerned for my husband - wouldn't want to him to have an accident. Just his boss laughing and him working night shift - not exactly easy to go out and buy laces right away.

Sorry.

So where would the employer have gone to get some?

Emmzi

I'd expect there to be string in a kitchen for stuff like tying joints of meast, and I'd have used that

diable

sweetcarer wrote: »

I am sorry if I sounded so petty - just concerned for my husband - wouldn't want to him to have an accident. Just his boss laughing and him working night shift - not exactly easy to go out and buy laces right away.

Sorry.

I think as an adult he should be able to adapt and make a running repair, cable tie, string, paper clips etc etc should be available in and around the kitchen.

Owain_Moneysaver

Zazen999 wrote: »

So where would the employer have gone to get some?

The employer is required to keep sufficient spare PPE to allow for replacement (or stop the work being carried out)