• The employer has to make an assessment of the hazards in the workplace in order to identify the correct type of PPE to be provided and to ensure that PPE is appropriate to the risk. Care must be taken in selecting PPE as certain types give reasonably high levels of protection while others,  that may appear almost the same, give relatively low levels of protection. The level of risk must be assessed so that the performance required of the PPE can be determined.
• Selection of PPE must take account of the proper wearing and fitting of the equipment – an employer should take into account that one type of PPE may not fit all.
• In sourcing PPE, the employer must therefore, select appropriate PPE which is user-friendly and which fits the individual employee correctly, after adjustment if necessary.
• Special care should be taken where persons suffer from certain medical conditions, e.g. certain types of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) may not be suitable for employees with asthma, bronchitis or heart disease. Where situations such as these occur, the employer should seek medical advice as to whether the employee can tolerate the use of PPE. Employers should make provision for medical conditions where they are aware of such conditions.
• Ensure any PPE you buy is CE marked and complies with the requirements of the European Communities (Personal Protective Equipment) Regulations 1993 which require PPE to have the appropriate CE mark. The CE marking signifies that the PPE satisfies certain basic health and safety requirements.