Scandal of workers forced to pay for protection

• Scandal of workers forced to pay for protection

More than one in five workers is being forced to pay for lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE), despite laws that say employers must provide it free of charge. TUC survey findings released this week report more than one in every 10 (11.6 per cent) respondents said that although they were required to wear safety equipment of some kind, their employer failed to provide or pay for it. A further 8.9 per cent were made to pay for any replacement equipment if their original PPE was damaged. In total more than one in five (20 per cent) respondents to the survey said they had to pay for providing or replacing all or some of the equipment they needed for their work. PPE includes protective clothing, helmets and goggles designed to protect workers from injury, electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection. Women workers were even less likely than men to have this safety equipment provided free, with more than 15 per cent having to provide all or some of their own attire - usually foot protection or overalls - compared to 10.5 per cent of men. Of the workers whose equipment needed cleaning, 60 per cent claimed that their employer made no arrangements for providing, or paying the cost of, cleaning. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The fact that so many employers are flaunting the law is an absolute scandal,' adding: 'Safety equipment is needed to ensure that workers are protected from injury or disease, yet there appears to be very little enforcement of the law. As a result many workers - often those in low-paid service jobs like catering and cleaning - are having to fork out from their own pocket, or go without. This must stop. With the government's cutback of proactive inspections in the workplace this abuse can only grow.'

TUC news release.