Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) eLearning
Online PPE training that covers why protective equipment is the last line of defence, how to choose and fit it, and why the employer pays for it rather than the worker.
Who it is for
Who this PPE course is for
PPE is the control everyone can see, which is why it is the one people assume is enough. This course is for anyone issued with protective equipment, and for the supervisors who have to make sure it is worn.
- Construction, demolition and civils operatives
- Manufacturing, engineering and workshop staff
- Warehouse, logistics and yard workers
- Cleaning, facilities and maintenance teams
- Agricultural and groundcare workers
- Supervisors responsible for PPE issue and enforcement
- New starters, as part of site induction
Course content
What the PPE course covers
Five short lessons covering where PPE sits in the hierarchy of control, the types of PPE, selection and fit, using and caring for it, and the duties on both sides, then a 12-question assessment.
Where PPE sits
The hierarchy of control and why PPE is the last line of defence rather than the first answer.
Types of PPE
Head, eye, hearing, respiratory, hand, foot, body and fall protection, and what each protects against.
Selection and fit
Matching PPE to the hazard and the person, face-fit testing, and making sure items work together.
Using, caring for and checking PPE
Wearing PPE properly and all the time, checking it before use, storing and maintaining it, and reporting defects.
Duties on both sides
What your employer must provide and maintain, free of charge, who the 2022 amendment covers, and what you must do.
Outcomes
What you will be able to do afterwards
- Explain why PPE is the last line of defence, not the first
- Identify the right type of PPE for a given hazard
- Check that PPE fits and works with your other equipment
- Use, care for, store and check PPE, and report defects
- Say what your employer must provide, at whose cost, and what you must do
Your legal duty
The law behind PPE training
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require employers to provide suitable PPE where a risk cannot be adequately controlled by other means, to maintain it, and to give employees the information, instruction and training they need to use it properly. PPE must be provided free of charge.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 extended those duties to a wider group of workers than the original employee definition covered. Worth knowing if you engage casual or contract labour.
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - sections 2 and 7
- Specific regulations set their own PPE duties. COSHH, noise, asbestos and work at height among them.
Practicalities
How the course works
Would you rather have a tutor?
Tight-fitting respiratory protection needs face-fit testing, which cannot be done online. Talk to us about arranging it.
For employers
PPE training for a site or a workforce
PPE compliance falls down at induction and at turnover. An account lets you put every new starter through the same course before they set foot on site.
- One invoice instead of a card payment per person
- Licences allocated as people join, so induction is covered
- Completion and expiry reporting for your health and safety file
- Renewal reminders before certificates lapse
- Bespoke versions built around the PPE you actually issue
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) eLearning: common questions
Where PPE is provided, yes. The employer must give employees the information, instruction and training needed to use it properly, and this course covers that at awareness level.
No. PPE required for work must be provided free of charge by the employer. The course is explicit about this because it is one of the most common misunderstandings.
No. Tight-fitting masks require a face-fit test carried out in person for the specific model and wearer. Awareness training does not substitute for it.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 extended the employer's PPE duties to a wider group of workers than the original 1992 employee definition covered.
About 30 to 45 minutes, with no time limit. The certificate is issued as soon as you pass the end assessment.
Yes. Open a business account and we invoice you for the licences, which you allocate as people join. Completion reporting is included.
Yes. It runs in a browser on any modern phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.
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