Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive (Directive 89/686/EEC)
The PPE Directive applies to any device or appliance designed to be worn or held by an individual for protection against one or more health and safety hazards (as defined in the Directive).
The scope of the PPE Directive is wide and includes protective gloves, protective clothing, protective footwear, sunglasses, protective headgear and respiratory protective equipment. The Directive provides for three categories of PPE, simple design, complex design and PPE that is neither simple nor complex, sometimes known as intermediate.
The Categories are also often referred to as Category I, II, or III. An important point to note is that both the simple (I) and the complex (III) categories contain exclusive lists. Therefore if a relevant product does not fall within these lists, it will be in the Intermediate (II) category by default.
The Personal Protective Equipment (EC Directive) Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/3139) (external link) (the Principal Regulations), which implemented the Directive's requirements in the UK, entered into force on 1 January 1993 with an extended transitional period up to 30 June 1995 for compliance. The Principle Regulations were amended three times and when a further amendment became necessary, the existing amendments and Principal Regulations were consolidated into one document, in the interest of providing clearer legislation.
The consolidated Regulations are called "The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No. 1144)" and these revoke the Principal Regulations and the three amendments. A copy of these Regulations is available on OPSI website at the following address http://www.opsi.gov.uk/stat.htm.
Enforcement of the PPE Regulations is carried out by Local Authority Trading Standards Departments.
Publications
BIS contacts
Angela Finch / Dennis Nathanielsz
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
Bay 190, 1 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0ET
Tel: 020 7215 1438 / 5693
Fax: 020 7215 3013
