Hi, I've been contacted to today by someone who is working at our place on a temp contract but not employed or paid by us, she is employed and paid by her agency. She has recently had an eye test and given a prescription for glasses for VDU only. Is anyone able to advise on whether we or the agency has the responsibility in terms of paying toward her glasses? I have read that Employment businesses (agencies) should: (i) on request, provide eye tests (and special corrective appliances, if required) to agency worker users who are their employees (regulation 5). However her agency are quoting AWR legislation, which I know nothing about but they seem to think that it takes the responsibility away from them, does anyone have an opinion on this? Thanks

https://www.gov.uk/gover...-guidance-for-recruiters There you go.

If they want to try and hide behind the Agency Worker Regulations ask them which specific article(s) exempt them as the actual contractual employer from providing PPE - when you get silence back cancel their contract as they are unfit to be "Employers". There is a difference between "access to facilities" (canteen, toilets etc.) as intended within these regulations and someone taking the preverbial sending someone not capable of adequately fulfilling the required task. Best one from experience was a new agency on trial who sent someone without any training or experience to be an FLT driver then tried to state that as I was the "employer" it was my duty to train them! At least they turned up with boots and the agencies Hi-Vis vest (probably charged the poor sod for them). Will - you need a new agency seem to recalll several have been in court for failing to provide or more correctly charging the worker for issued PPE

there seems to be some confusion here, I understood the original poster to be referring to Prescription spectacles for VDU use, these are not PPE. The DSE regs cover this but it is laid out quite clearly in the ACOP. The DSE Regs emphasise the duty of the employer to provide eye tests and sight tests to their employees, The ACOP clarifies this by stating that there is no duty to offer eye tests or sight tests to those not in their employ ( IIRC around para 50.) Redaing the Original Post it seems that the Agency are unaware of their responsibilities towards their staff.