{"id":12556,"date":"2013-05-07T12:43:13","date_gmt":"2013-05-07T11:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theinjurylawyers.co.uk\/injury-lawyers-blog\/?p=12556"},"modified":"2013-05-07T12:43:13","modified_gmt":"2013-05-07T11:43:13","slug":"hand-injury-at-work-no-gloves-provided","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theinjurylawyers.co.uk\/injury-lawyers-blog\/2013\/05\/07\/hand-injury-at-work-no-gloves-provided\/","title":{"rendered":"Hand Injury at Work – No Gloves Provided"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"handIf you need gloves to be able to do your job without injuring your hands, your employer has a duty to provide them to you. To quote Regulation 4 of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

4.\u2014(1) Every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to his employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective<\/em> (source<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The law is clear \u2013 if there is a risk that your hands could be injured during the course of your employment, your employer should provide you with appropriate equipment to protect you from a risk. Let\u2019s say you handle hot materials or chemicals \u2013 you need heat retardant or chemical proof gloves to prevent any potential injuries. The gloves have to be good enough for the job as well. Regulation 6 states the following:
\n<\/p>\n

6.(1)\u00a0Before choosing any personal protective equipment which by virtue of regulation 4 he is required to ensure is provided, an employer or self-employed person shall ensure that an assessment is made to determine whether the personal protective equipment he intends will be provided is suitable<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Again, the law is quite clear. If you are given gloves that aren\u2019t up to the job and are not going to prevent you from burning yourself, the equipment isn\u2019t good enough and you need more appropriate ones.<\/p>\n

If you have to handle glass or be potentially exposed to sharp objects, you should be given gloves that are thick enough to avoid lacerating your hands. There are loads of examples, but the key things to remember are:<\/p>\n