The Examination & Maintenance Of PPE

The Examination & Maintenance Of PPE

Every employer who provides PPE, including protective clothing, to meet the requirements of these Regulations as they apply to biological agents shall ensure that it is:

a) properly stored in a well-defined place;

b) checked and cleaned at suitable intervals; and

c) when discovered to be defective, repaired or replaced before further use.

PPE which may be contaminated by biological agents shall be:

a) removed on leaving the working area; and

b) kept apart from uncontaminated clothing and equipment.

In the above case, the employer shall ensure that the equipment is subsequently
decontaminated and cleaned or, if necessary, destroyed.

Other provisions of the Schedule

These include:

a) a duty on employers to provide written emergency instructions, together with displaying notices, in the event of an accidental release of a biological agent;

b) a duty on employees to report accidents or incidents which have or may have resulted in an accidental release which could cause severe human disease to the employer;

c) a duty on employers to inform his employees forthwith of an accidental release, and subsequently, of the causes of the accident and the measures taken, or to be taken, to rectify the situation;

d) a duty on employers to maintain a list of employees exposed to a Group 3 or Group 4 biological agent, together with specified details of each exposure, for at least ten years following the last known exposure;

e) a duty on employers to notify the HSE in writing at least 30 days in advance prior to the storage and use of biological agents in Groups 2, 3 or 4 at a particular premises; and

f) a duty on employers to notify the HSE in writing at least 30 days in advance prior to the consignment of biological agents specified in Part V of the Schedule, namely: i) all Group 4 biological agents; ii) rabies virus; iii) Simian herpes B virus; iv) Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus; v) tick-borne encephalitis group viruses in Group 3; vi) monkeypox virus; and vii) Mopeia virus.