PPE vs work clothing and protective clothing: differences, categories, allocation tables and issue records

Short answer: Regulation (EU) 2016/425 sets three risk categories. Category I covers minimal risks such as superficial mechanical injury, weak cleaning agents, hot surfaces up to 50°C or sunlight. Category III covers risks that may cause very serious consequences such as death or irreversible damage to health — including hazardous substances, oxygen deficiency, biological agents, falls from height, electric shock, harmful noise and temperatures from 100°C. Category II covers everything else, such as typical safety helmets and safety footwear.

Category III items such as respiratory protection or fall arrest harnesses are best tracked individually: serial number, manufacture date, first use, inspections and withdrawal date.

On issue, the employer must inform the worker how to use the equipment (art. 237⁶ § 2); for category III this usually means hands-on training, for example respirator fit checks.

Short answer: the employer, and there is no single statutory period. Under § 39 of the Polish general OSH regulation the employer determines the PPE, work clothing and footwear required at each workstation and the expected service periods of work clothing and footwear; Annex 2 sets general PPE allocation rules. Workers or their representatives are consulted (art. 237¹¹ᵃ).

The resulting allocation table lists, per job, the items due, workwear service periods and PPE replacement rules — usually “until worn” or per manufacturer guidance. It should follow the risk assessment and be reviewed when the assessment changes.

A single site-wide table or periods copied from someone else's template is a common mistake; an inspector may ask why a job has a given set of equipment.

Short answer: no mandatory template, but the employer must be able to show that required items were provided and the worker was informed how to use them. Typically this is an individual PPE and workwear issue card: what was issued, when, size, period and signature.

Also useful: the allocation table, PPE conformity documents, a category III item register with inspections and laundering or repair records. Workers may not be allowed to work without required PPE and workwear (art. 237⁹ § 1), so issue records are among the first documents checked after an accident.

A storekeeper's notebook rarely links issues to job allocations or flags the next due date, and makes job transfers hard to handle.

Short answer: a laundering allowance is paid when the employer cannot launder work clothing and entrusts it to the worker; an own-clothing allowance applies at jobs where the employer permits own clothes. Laundering, maintenance, repair and decontamination remain the employer's duty, and allowances should reflect real costs.

The Labour Code prohibits entrusting workers with laundering clothing contaminated by chemical or radioactive agents or infectious biological material (art. 237⁹), and own clothing is restricted where such contamination or heavy soiling occurs.

An allowance never replaces PPE: employers cannot pay workers to buy their own helmets, goggles or protective gloves.

Short answer: by linking job allocations to employee records and recording each issue with acknowledgement. In the PPE records and issuance module the site builds an item catalogue and job allocations; when an employee in employee records has a job assigned, the storekeeper sees what is due, what was issued and when replacement is next due.

The worker confirms receipt on a tablet or phone, and VIMS records date, size, quantity and issuer, reminds about expiring service periods and tracks category III items individually with inspections in equipment registers and reviews. Issues for visitors and contractors are supported too.

On a job change the system shows the difference between allocations, and the full issue history is available in seconds for an inspection or accident investigation. You can join the testing programme via the contact page.