PPE includes protective clothing, helmets and goggles designed to protect workers from injury, electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection. More than one in 10 (11.6%) of those who responded to the TUC questionnaire said that although their work required them to wear safety equipment of some kind, their employer failed to provide or pay for this.
A further 8.9% were made to pay for any replacement equipment if their original PPE was damaged. In total more than one in five (20%) of respondents to the survey said that they had to pay for providing or replacing all or some of the equipment they needed for their work.
Women workers were even less likely than men to have their safety equipment provided, with more than 15% having to provide all or some of their own attire - usually foot protection or overalls - compared to 10.5% of men.
And even where the employer provided PPE, the worker "usually" had to clean the equipment themselves or pay for it to be cleaned. Of those whose equipment needed cleaning, more than three in five (60%) claimed that their employer made no arrangements for providing, or paying the cost of, cleaning.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The fact that so many employers are flaunting the law is an absolute scandal.
"Far too many workers are being forced to provide their own safety protection, whether footwear, boiler suits, overalls or gloves, and this abuse is widespread across a wide range of industries ranging from construction to catering. Even when equipment is provided it is often expected that the worker cleans it or replaces it if damaged.
"Safety equipment is needed to ensure that workers are protected from injury or disease, yet there appears to be very little enforcement of the law. As a result many workers - often those in low-paid service jobs like catering and cleaning - are having to fork out from their own pocket, or go without. This must stop. With the governments cutback of proactive inspections in the workplace this abuse can only grow."
It is illegal for an employer to charge for any safety equipment. The law also says that every employer has to ensure that any PPE provided to their employees is maintained (including replaced or cleaned as appropriate) in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.