PPE on Australian residential construction sites

What it is

Personal protective equipment is the clothing and equipment a worker wears to reduce exposure to a hazard that cannot be eliminated or controlled through higher-order measures. Under the model Work Health and Safety Regulations a PCBU must manage risks to health and safety by applying the hierarchy of control. Elimination sits at the top. PPE sits at the bottom. On a residential build PPE is almost always part of the control mix because trades work alongside each other in close quarters and hazards from one trade affect another.

PPE is not a substitute for engineering or administrative controls. A SafeWork inspector who finds a builder relying on PPE where a higher-order control was reasonably practicable will write that up as a failure of the hierarchy, even if every worker is wearing the gear.

Who has the duty

The PCBU must provide PPE that is suitable having regard to the nature of the work and the hazard, a suitable size and fit and reasonably comfortable, maintained in a clean and serviceable condition, and used or worn by the worker so far as is reasonably practicable. The PCBU must also provide information, training and instruction in the proper use, wearing, storage and maintenance of the equipment.

The worker has a parallel duty. Section 28 of the model WHS Act requires a worker to use or wear the PPE in accordance with information, training and instruction. Refusing to wear required PPE without a lawful reason is a breach of the worker's own duty.

Minimum PPE per task

On an active residential construction site the practical minimum for anyone on the build envelope is:

• Hard hat to AS/NZS 1801 whenever there is a risk of falling objects, overhead work or work near scaffold or cranes
• Safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337.1 for cutting, grinding, demolition, drilling overhead, working with chemicals or any task generating airborne particles
• Safety footwear to AS/NZS 2210.3 with steel or composite toe cap and puncture-resistant midsole, particularly important on slab and frame stages
• High-visibility clothing to AS/NZS 4602.1 day or day/night class as appropriate where mobile plant is operating or where the site interfaces with traffic
• Cut-resistant or impact gloves selected to the task
• Hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270 when noise exceeds the exposure standard of 85 dB(A) over eight hours or a peak of 140 dB(C)
• Respiratory protection to AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716 when cutting engineered stone, sanding, demolition of asbestos-containing material or working in dusty enclosed spaces

Task-specific additions

Roofers and anyone working at heights need a fall-arrest harness compliant with AS/NZS 1891 once edge protection is removed or absent. Welders need flame-resistant clothing and a welding shield meeting AS/NZS 1338.1. Electricians need insulated tools and arc-rated gloves for live work. Excavator and skid-steer operators need a seatbelt, which is part of the plant rather than personal PPE but is enforced the same way.

Standards in detail

AS/NZS 1801 Occupational protective helmets sets the test requirements for hard hats sold and used in Australia. The current edition is AS/NZS 1801:2024 which supersedes the 1997 edition. Helmets must carry the AS/NZS 1801 marking and a date of manufacture. Most manufacturers recommend replacement three to five years from manufacture, sooner if the shell has been struck or exposed to solvents.

AS/NZS 1337.1 Personal eye protection covers eye and face protectors for occupational applications. Lenses are rated for impact, optical class and filter type. Medium impact rated eyewear is the practical minimum on a residential site. High impact is needed for grinding, demolition and work with powder-actuated tools.

AS/NZS 2210.3 Occupational protective footwear specifies the requirements for safety footwear and is the standard referenced when a site requires steel-capped boots. The standard sets the toe cap impact and compression rating, the slip resistance and the optional features such as puncture resistant midsoles and metatarsal protection.

What an audit looks for

A SafeWork inspector will look for three things on PPE. First, the PPE itself, in serviceable condition and the right type for the task being done. Second, training records that show each worker has been instructed in how to use, store and maintain the equipment. Third, evidence that the PCBU has considered higher-order controls and is not using PPE as a first resort. A PPE matrix that lists each task on the site and the PPE required is the simplest way to evidence the first and third of those.

TradeLens application

TradeLens cross-checks the PPE matrix against the SWMS for each high-risk task. It flags PPE referenced in the SWMS that is missing from the site delivery record, gaps in training records and standards that have been superseded.