PPE on Residential Construction Sites in Australia

Personal protective equipment is the last line of defence on a residential site. It only protects the person wearing it, only when worn correctly and only for as long as the equipment itself stays within specification. Under the model WHS framework, PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of control for a reason. It does not stop the hazard, it just buys a buffer when every other control has failed or cannot be applied. That said, the right PPE on a residential build is mandatory, the standards behind each item are specific and the cost falls on the PCBU not the worker.

What it is

PPE on an Australian residential site covers head, eye, hearing, hand, foot, high visibility and respiratory protection at a minimum. Each category maps to an Australian or joint Australian and New Zealand Standard that sets the test, marking and performance requirements. A helmet that does not bear the AS/NZS 1801 mark is not compliant PPE under the model WHS Regulations even if it looks identical to a compliant one.

Helmets, eyes, feet

AS/NZS 1801 covers occupational protective helmets. Type 1 helmets handle the general impact and penetration risks on a residential frame or roof. Type 2 helmets add lateral impact protection and are used where there is risk from swinging loads. The current edition is AS/NZS 1801:2024.

AS/NZS 1338 covers filters for eye protectors used in welding, brazing and allied operations. AS/NZS 1337 covers eye and face protection for general use. Roofers grinding tiles, framers cutting timber and any worker around live cutting need eye protection marked to the relevant part of these standards.

AS/NZS 2210 covers occupational protective footwear. Part 3 sets the specification for safety footwear with toe protection. On a residential site the steel cap boot rated to AS/NZS 2210.3 is the baseline. Penetration resistant midsoles to the same standard matter on demolition or strip out work where nail through sole injuries are common.

Mandatory PPE on a residential site

The site rule usually starts with five items. Hard hat to AS/NZS 1801 above ground floor or where overhead work is happening. Safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337 in any zone with grinding, cutting or fixing. Steel cap boots to AS/NZS 2210.3 at all times on site. High visibility vest or shirt to AS/NZS 4602.1 during day work, with retroreflective tape for any low light work. Hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270 within reach of any power tool or compressor.

Gloves and respiratory protection are task driven. Cut resistant gloves for steel and roofing. P2 respirators to AS/NZS 1716 for silica, MDF or paint solvents. The selection rule in Regulation 44 of the model WHS Regulations ties the PPE to the hazard, not to a generic site rule.

Who pays for PPE

Safe Work Australia is explicit. A worker does not pay for their PPE. The PCBU must provide it at no cost to the worker. The PCBU can supply the equipment directly or pay a PPE allowance, but where the worker buys their own the PCBU must reimburse on production of a tax invoice. Charging a worker for PPE, deducting the cost from wages or requiring the worker to bring their own as a condition of engagement breaches Regulation 44.

On residential sites the cost question often arises with steel cap boots. Boots are personal sizing and many workers prefer to choose their own. The compliant approach is a reimbursement against receipt up to a set value with a documented standard the boots must meet, not a blanket assumption the worker will sort their own.

When PPE is the wrong control

PPE alone is not acceptable where a higher control is reasonably practicable. A SWMS that lists only PPE for fall from height, silica dust or live electrical risk will fail any meaningful audit. The expectation is engineering or administrative controls first, with PPE as the backup for residual risk. Builders who write PPE on a SWMS and stop there are inviting an enforceable undertaking, an improvement notice or worse if an injury follows.