Posted By Clare Brass
We have recently brought in bump caps as compulsory PPE (thanks to everyone who got back to me on the enforcement issue - very inspiring!!) - the story unfolds . . .

One of our staff brought a letter from his doctor asking to be made exempt from wearing the bump cap as (and I quote) 'it causes his forehead to sweat.

The manager asked the individual to provide more information from the doctor, who supplied a 2nd letter, saying that the individual suffers from 'scalp irritation' and end the letter 'I would be grateful if he could be excluded from wearing it [the hat].

The letters seem genuine, although the doctor doesn't seem to have a clue what to do.

My question is this? Can a doctor medically exclude an individual from wearing PPE. If he is exempt, we are worried this might cause a domino effect, and our PPE plans fall flat

Posted By John Webster
Have you tried different makes/models on your staff so that they have some "ownership" of the type chosen?

If you can't find a more ventilated/better sweatband model, then your worker may be a candidate for relocation to an area/task where head protection is not required.

If your risk assessment says the PPE is needed, then you cannot just exempt somebody. That's tantamount to saying everyone else is at risk from head injury, but he is not!

You should consult an Occupational Health Physician, as the GP does not state that he should not wear the protection, nor the consequences of continued wearing, merely that he would be grateful if his patient were exempted!

Posted By Lilian McCartney
What do your Occ health people think? Get them to check the persons condition.
It could be that this person really does have a skin complaint which affects their scalp e.g. eczema etc. Excessive sweating can aggravate this and it would become extremely uncomfortable and then quite painful.

If you rely on GP reports only, get the employees permission for you to dicsuss this with their doctor and the best remedy. The GP might not be aware of the full facts of why your employee needs to wear the bump cap.

Of course it could be the cynical answer but hopefully, in my naive world, a GP wouldn't let themselves be led down this line (especially as you've went back once already).

Posted By Chris Pope
If a risk assessment is valid and it requires PPE then it has the status of law - under HASWA an employee is under a strict legal obligation to wear it as part of his duty to cooperate with his employer in fulfiling his employers duties Section 7 (b) says it so much more beautifully.

In a recent North Somerset case the dismissal of an employee who had medical reasons for not wearing safety footwear was upheld by a tribunal. The local EHO stood their ground, even though the employer was willing to make an exemption whilst retaining the risk assessment

Posted By garyh
"Suggest" that this person finds a job elsewhere where his "problem" won't arise ie where he doesn't need to wear a helmet.

Assuming that there is a real risk of head injury, I have to ask the question of this Einstein. Would he rather have his head bashed open or "scalp irritated"?

Posted By David P Johnson
Firstly, the doctor (form what you have said) had not diagnosed a medically-well recognised condition, so you should be questioning what the reasons for his exemption are.

If you do go down the exemption route, I would suggest that you follow the advice of the Construction (Head Protection) Regulations. I'm guessing that your not a construction site, but it does provide you a model to follow in the worst case scenario.