Good morning everyone Can someone please enlighten me with regard to this situation. Working in cold storage (picking/packing/loading) in temperatures between 2-8 degrees. Frozen cold storage in temperatures going down to -25. The company are advising that they'd provide PPE, but it would be advantageous to provide your own. What I would like clarification on is this: Is this acceptable to expect an employee to provide their own PPE (regardless of working conditions) or Is this an advertising standards issue with regard to the wording of the advert. In my mind I know what I've decided is correct, but would like to know what others think.

I expect they will supply PPE in so far as to satisfy their controls for their risk assessments and safe systems of work but this is a minimum. Perhaps they mean that the new employee may find it useful to come with extra bits. For example, they may supply jacket, gloves and a hat, but some form of scarf may be advantageous to an employee but is not supplied. I think it is misuse of the term PPE perhaps?

If an employer has undertaken a suitable & sufficient risk assessment for cold working environments, than I would expect it to cover the range of employees rather than the so called minimum such that some would have to supply their own!. Unfortunately, the selection of thermal PPE in context of cold stress is not "simple" . Refer to HSE references on cold stress. http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/coldstress.htm Cold stress Employers and employees should note that where HSE does not have specific guidance ie working in temperatures below 12°C, compliance with British/European Standards ensures you are working to the minimum standard expected. As a first point of reference in these circumstances employers/employees are advised to refer to the following British Standards: BS EN 511: Specification for protective gloves against cold ISO 13732-3 Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Touching of cold surfaces Part 3. Ergonomics data and guidance for application BS 7915: 1998 Ergonomics of the thermal environment : Guide to design and evaluation of working practices for cold indoor environments. ISO 11079 Evaluation of cold environments - Determination of required clothing insulation (IREQ) ISO 15743 Ergonomics of the thermal environment - cold workplaces - risk assessment and management The standards named are not an exhaustive list but provide a basis from which to formulate a risk assessment strategy and to start managing the problem. You may need to refer to additional standards but this will be dependant on your operational circumstances.

translation: we will reluctantly provide PPE (the cheapest rubbish we think we can get away with) but acknowledge it will be unsuitable for the task.

Seems a bit of a starnge one, and I think these translations maybe quite accurate. Section 9 of the HASAWA is quite clear, Duty not to charge employees in persuance etc. Niko-Nako, might be worth showing this small section to your employer. I'm not sure that a company can really justify this statement on a legal basis. Basically it looks like they are saying we won't fulfil our legal obligation if you will do it for us.

Fair point Nikki-Napo, aplogies if I was preaching to the converted. You are right to be concerned about their H&S culture, they have shown their colours very clearly. I was doing an induction recently and the inductee had brought some safety shoes, expecting to have to supply them based on previous employment experiences. I went on to explain that they needen't have bothered, they asked why this was the case. It's difficult in those instances to be diplomatic and not blurt out "because they don't care about you, just their profit!!" Good post, has provided some food for thought today.