Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many actions the Health and Safety Executive took against companies for failing to meet personal protective equipment legal standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.

The requirement to provide suitable and sufficient personal protective equipment is addressed in different health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, The Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulation 1992.

Where breaches of health and safety legislation are identified, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will consider enforcement action in line with its Enforcement Policy Statement and Enforcement Management Model. Enforcement action includes verbal warnings, letters of Notification of Contravention, Enforcement Notices and prosecution.

The data provided below is the number of enforcement notices served for breaches of the Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulation 1992. Information on all enforcement taken by HSE relating to the provision of personal protective equipment is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.