8. Equipment and clothing at work

This chapter covers the regulations and latest union and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance around the use of equipment and staying safe in the workplace. It starts with the most recent campaigning and advice around the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safe homeworking during the Covid-19 pandemic. However it also covers all other key regulations that are useful for reps to know about. These include the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, the Health and Safety Regulations 1992, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the recent changes to UK product safety marking.