Personal Protective Equipment - where to buy?

withabix

Just contact the HSE, ask that they deal with your complaint anonymously and be done with it.

They can then just 'happen' to decide to come and do a random inspection, which they are entitled to do at any time without prior warning.

Evilm

Your employer should at least contribute to the cost. We can buy our own if we choose but the employer then will pay us back up to a certain amount. If we want fancy stuff we can pay the difference.

We use Cromwell: http://www.cromwell.co.uk/index

Wickes & Perkins usually stock quite a few bits but I don't know how reasonable they are on price.

dickydonkin

Evilm wrote: »

Your employer should at least contribute to the cost. We can buy our own if we choose but the employer then will pay us back up to a certain amount. If we want fancy stuff we can pay the difference.

That is a reasonable compromise where the employer pays a set amount that will buy PPE that conforms to recognised standards with the option of the user supplementing the costs to upgrade - although ideally, the employer should try to supply the best quality of equipment as a matter of course.

You will usually find this arrangement for DSE users where the employer will pay for a basic pair of spectacles with the option of the user supplementing the cost to obtain a designer frame for example.

Supplying PPE that the user likes the look of and feels comfortable in will ensure it is used correctly and regularly.

Notmyrealname

Half_way wrote: »

As my current employer doesnt supply the basic PPE, we have to buy our own kit, from our own money.

Your employer is breaking the law. They have a legal responsiblity to provide PPE.

For engineering that would be goggles, ear defenders, steel toe cap boots and gloves on demand.

paddyrg

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PPE-Site-Safety-Kit-Work-Boots-/360269758782?pt=UK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL&hash=item53e1c0413e

and

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Premium-PPE-Site-Safety-Kit-Work-Boots-/360269760160?pt=UK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL&hash=item53e1c046a0

These guys offer kits of PPE suitable for most sites. As PPE is not expensive, but is very important to yourself, I would frankly tend to bring my own PPE anyway. You can get great steel toecap boots that fit so comfortably you wear them for leisure for under £40. Hi-Viz, I'd be tempted to look at warm HiViz jackets etc if you work outside at all, maybe get a hi-viz waterproof trouser set. You can get ear defenders in various qualities, all passing the min spec, but £20 may get you some you find more comfortable and with better protection than a cheapo pair.

hartcjhart

Half_way wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, there are only five of its on the shop floor, the last time someone asked for the boss went loopy and accused them of having an attitude problem,, with the possibility I of this person not having any work[/QUOTE]

then the boss would still be breaking HSE laws and also possibly employment laws

dickydonkin

paddyrg wrote: »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PPE-Site-Safety-Kit-Work-Boots-/360269758782?pt=UK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL&hash=item53e1c0413e

and

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Premium-PPE-Site-Safety-Kit-Work-Boots-/360269760160?pt=UK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL&hash=item53e1c046a0

These guys offer kits of PPE suitable for most sites. As PPE is not expensive, but is very important to yourself, I would frankly tend to bring my own PPE anyway. You can get great steel toecap boots that fit so comfortably you wear them for leisure for under £40. Hi-Viz, I'd be tempted to look at warm HiViz jackets etc if you work outside at all, maybe get a hi-viz waterproof trouser set. You can get ear defenders in various qualities, all passing the min spec, but £20 may get you some you find more comfortable and with better protection than a cheapo pair.

A word of warning about supplying your own equipment - especially ear defenders. Only by assessing the noise in your workplace can you determine if the attenuation values of the defenders (noise reduction) are appropriate for the areas you will be working in.

Another concern would be supplying your own respiratory protection (masks) as again, these would need to be specific to the hazard they would be protecting the user from. For example, a dust mask would be of little use if the user is exposed to potentially harmful vapours.

Furthermore, there is a lot of cheap rubbish on the market - mostly imported from China that do not conform to EN standards (even though the packaging states they do) and may not protect you if the worst should happen.

Like everything else - cheapest is not always the best and just to add my usual reference about PPE - it is always the last line of defence in personal protection - and other more effective risk control measures should always be considered before using PPE.

paddyrg

Oh, don't get me wrong - things like vapour masks should certainly come from a proper assessment etc! However steelies, hi-viz, rigging gloves (assuming they conform to the appropriate spec) it may be worth getting your own.