Rank: Forum user 
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If an employee is fitted for PPE (Hi Viz Jumper), but over course of few months he balloons in size, and has out grown his Jumper....Is it the employers duty to reorder more jumpers, or is that the employee's responsibility to pay for them as he has put on a lot of weight???
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Don't know, but I would have thought the PPE must be 'fit for purpose', which surely includes the correct fitting.
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Rank: Forum user
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It it the responsibility of the business to ensure that if an employee needs PPE it is well fitting PPE that is fit for purpose. Just re order him, new stuff and hold the out grown stuff in stock in case someone else needs it.
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Rank: Forum user
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If you have identified PPE as a control measure in your risk assessments then you have a legal duty to provide it free of charge, no qualifications on that whatsoever. If an employee grows out of it, wrecks or decides to sell it down the local market then you still need to provide a replacement and ensure he wears it correctly. Of course you may wish to look at a disciplinary response in some of those cases but that is ultimately a management/HR issue, the legal duty to provide suitable PPE that fits correctly does not change.
One other thing, rapid weight gain can sometimes be a sign of medical and/or personal issues. It might be worth someone having a quick conversation to find out if there is anything work related going on that may be contributing to the employee's drop in wellbeing.
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Rank: Forum user
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cres wrote:It it the responsibility of the business to ensure that if an employee needs PPE it is well fitting PPE that is fit for purpose. Just re order him, new stuff and hold the out grown stuff in stock in case someone else needs it.
costs around £400 to order new PPE required...I've asked management to re-order, but as they say, if he balloons in weight and they have to re-order, then would they have to do the same, if everyone ballooned in weight
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Rank: Forum user
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Jimothy999 wrote:If you have identified PPE as a control measure in your risk assessments then you have a legal duty to provide it free of charge, no qualifications on that whatsoever. If an employee grows out of it, wrecks or decides to sell it down the local market then you still need to provide a replacement and ensure he wears it correctly. Of course you may wish to look at a disciplinary response in some of those cases but that is ultimately a management/HR issue, the legal duty to provide suitable PPE that fits correctly does not change.
One other thing, rapid weight gain can sometimes be a sign of medical and/or personal issues. It might be worth someone having a quick conversation to find out if there is anything work related going on that may be contributing to the employee's drop in wellbeing.
We cant obviously discipline him for getting larger, but good point about the rapid weight gain being down to potential medical issue....although, what if it's not, and its down to his diet of beer and pies (not trying to make a joke of it)....His manage has said its not up to them to re-order, as he signed for the size he was fitted for, and its his own doing, that he got a few sizes bigger....My RA do identify that we should provide PPE, but I've never dealt with this issue before...think involving HR is best option for advice, cause im totally stumped how its going to play out
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Rank: Super forum user 
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£400? GULP.
Seems a bit excessive for PPE 'jumper' to me? Are they designer branded?
Methinks you might want to look at alternative suppliers?
My view is that unfortunately it is your duty to supply - whatever the guys size - would you penalise someone that had gone on a health drive and lost weight in the same way??
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Rank: Super forum user 
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It is against the law to charge for PPE. Hard to get past that for any reason.
You have specified the need for this PPE. So without it he can not do his job. If he states he will not by , what are you going to do - he is not going to lose weight by Monday Morning.
I don't see you have a lot of choice, you can't stop people getting fat.
You are between a rock and a hard place. That is a heck of a jumper for £400.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user
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I have visions of the Nutty Professor!!!
PS. I've never come across a "hi-vis jumper". Buy him an XXXL hi vis jacket instead. They are pretty reasonable in cost, even with quilted linings!
If the Manager still moans about cost, tell him/her to review their own monthly expenses, that might help put some sanity on the situation.
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Rank: Forum user
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stuie wrote:£400? GULP.
Seems a bit excessive for PPE 'jumper' to me? Are they designer branded?
Methinks you might want to look at alternative suppliers?
My view is that unfortunately it is your duty to supply - whatever the guys size - would you penalise someone that had gone on a health drive and lost weight in the same way??
they order 3 or 4 from my understanding, but its irrating as ive found a company which will do them a lot cheaper, and good quality, but purchasing have a good relationship with current supplier and that wont change
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Rank: Forum user
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SP900308 wrote:I have visions of the Nutty Professor!!!
PS. I've never come across a "hi-vis jumper". Buy him an XXXL hi vis jacket instead. They are pretty reasonable in cost, even with quilted linings!
If the Manager still moans about cost, tell him/her to review their own monthly expenses, that might help put some sanity on the situation.
yes, just checked and the Jacket option is a lot cheaper, I mean a lot....im going to have to question the supplier, as the costs seem crazy compared to other places we use
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Had the opposite of this at two companies - both medical condition related weight loss - stumped up for new PPE as loose clothing went against the RA relating to the equipment in use.
Swapping coats for jumpers may be a problem depending upon the working environment - we eliminated Hi-Vis vests for operators (nice and cheap) and replaced them with Polo shirts because the fitted non opening design eliminated operators getting hooked up due to the arm openings in the vests.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Had the opposite of this at two companies - both medical condition related weight loss - stumped up for new PPE as loose clothing went against the RA relating to the equipment in use.
Swapping coats for jumpers may be a problem depending upon the working environment - we eliminated Hi-Vis vests for operators (nice and cheap) and replaced them with Polo shirts because the fitted non opening design eliminated operators getting hooked up due to the arm openings in the vests.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Roundtuit wrote: we eliminated Hi-Vis vests for operators (nice and cheap) and replaced them with Polo shirts because the fitted non opening design eliminated operators getting hooked up due to the arm openings in the vests.
I believe the rail sector overcome this problem with simple 'poppers'.
Jon Joe, why hi-vis jumpers... enlighten me?
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Rank: Forum user
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costs around £400 to order new PPE required...I've asked management to re-order, but as they say, if he balloons in weight and they have to re-order, then would they have to do the same, if everyone ballooned in weight
Unfortunately that's business, and I know as H&S professionals we are nearly always working with tight budgets but on the other hand you'll have some other staff that really look after their kit, don't grow or shrink :) and don't need it to be replaced for years and years. So over all it probably wont affect your annual budget, its just how it goes. It looks like your trying to find a more cost effective option, which hopefully you will be able to achieve. :)
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Rank: Forum user
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SP900308 wrote:Roundtuit wrote: we eliminated Hi-Vis vests for operators (nice and cheap) and replaced them with Polo shirts because the fitted non opening design eliminated operators getting hooked up due to the arm openings in the vests.
I believe the rail sector overcome this problem with simple 'poppers'.
Jon Joe, why hi-vis jumpers... enlighten me?
there is more flexibility with jumpers than jackets....the company have traditionally always used jumpers and are the preferred option with staff
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Rank: Forum user
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cres wrote:costs around £400 to order new PPE required...I've asked management to re-order, but as they say, if he balloons in weight and they have to re-order, then would they have to do the same, if everyone ballooned in weight
Unfortunately that's business, and I know as H&S professionals we are nearly always working with tight budgets but on the other hand you'll have some other staff that really look after their kit, don't grow or shrink :) and don't need it to be replaced for years and years. So over all it probably wont affect your annual budget, its just how it goes. It looks like your trying to find a more cost effective option, which hopefully you will be able to achieve. :)
Pity we didn't have a Module at University about 'Company Politics' and H&S'.....Got an alternative sorted....Picking the employee up tomorrow, even though its my day off, and taken him to a local Safety Clothing Shop to get a few Hi Viz Jumpers....The company we use, print their names on them and they have a locked in contract...so have requested a meeting with them, to see about speeding up the process of orders
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Rank: Super forum user
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So is the PPE jumper to protect against the cold or is it not PPE more company uniform ? I can't what else a jumper would protect against.
If it is against the cold, then I guess they are inside. So would a High Visibility Fleece be the option if it is just cold. I'm sure a fleece would be far less money ( unless the real cost is company logo on it)
Regards
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user 
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jon joe wrote: ................its irrating as I've found a company which will do them a lot cheaper, and good quality, but purchasing have a good relationship with current supplier and that wont change
Now .......................... 'that' should start the alarm bells ringing
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Cost between jumpers and jackets!
Do you know the purpose of PPE? It is a last resort and it is to protect people. It needs to be fit for purpose, a jumper in arctic conditions does not fit, a fleece in 80 degree heat does not fit. PPE has a purpose and the company needs to find suitable affordable PPE for its employees but buying the cheapest does not mean its the most suitable.
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Rank: Forum user
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It is definitely the employers duty to reorder correct fitting PPE.
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