Given the seriousness of food safety, it’s regulated tightly. Food production PPE falls under the following UK regulations.
All workplace PPE falls under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations of 2022. Employers always have a duty to provide their workers with the necessary PPE to stay safe on the job and the training for using the PPE. This also applies to limb workers - workers who are not full employees. The latest regulations newly include limb workers performing contract service work without an employment contract.
General food safety responsibilities require carefully managing materials that contact food, and this includes food industry workwear. A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan is essential for identifying your food safety hazards and mitigating them through controls like PPE. This requires ongoing checks and documentation of your hazard control effectiveness. Health inspectors may want to see these records.
The Food Standards Agency’s guidance on personal hygiene states that any food and beverage industry workwear must be suitable, clean, and protective for the work. Also, food workers must tie back and cover their hair and remove most jewellery.