PPE Guidance
Hand Protection for Knife-Related Operations
What the PPE at Work Regulations and HSE guidance require when staff use knives, even occasionally, and what good practice looks like.
The key point
Using a knife occasionally doesn't reduce the risk of a cut, so it doesn't remove the need for gloves.
Section 1 · The law
The Problem & the Law
The PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022)
A common problem
"I only use a knife now and then"
It's not unusual for operators who only use a knife "occasionally" to avoid wearing cut-resistant gloves. A quick cut to open a box or trim packaging doesn't feel like it needs gloves, so they're left in a pocket, a locker or the canteen. However, using a knife occasionally doesn't make the risk of a cut any smaller, and it doesn't remove the employer's legal duty to provide suitable gloves and make sure they're worn.
Legal requirements
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022)
| Regulation | What it requires | Read it |
|---|---|---|
| Reg 4Provision | Employers must provide suitable PPE to workers who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety, unless that risk is adequately controlled by other means that are equally or more effective. Since April 2022, this duty covers limb (b) workers as well as employees. | Regulation 4 ↗ |
| Reg 8Accommodation | The employer must ensure that "appropriate accommodation is provided" for PPE when it is not in use. | Regulation 8 ↗ |
| Reg 9Information & training | The employer must give workers adequate information, instruction and training on the PPE provided. | Regulation 9 ↗ |
| Reg 10(1)Use (employer) | "Every employer shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that any personal protective equipment provided to their workers…" is properly used. | Regulation 10 ↗ |
| Reg 10(2)Use (worker) | "Every worker shall use any personal protective equipment provided to them by virtue of these Regulations in accordance both" with the training and instructions they have been given. | Regulation 10 ↗ |
Agency and casual workers: since the 2022 amendment, the same duties apply to limb (b) workers, including most agency and casual staff, as to employees. Sites that rely on agency labour need the same controls in place for everyone. HSE: PPE Regulations 2022 ↗
Section 2 · HSE guidance
HSE Guidance (L25)
HSE L25, 4th edition, 2022
HSE guidance (L25)
| L25 para | Guidance | What it means here | Read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | "PPE should be regarded as the last resort to protect against risks to health and safety." | Safer cutting tools should be considered alongside gloves. | L25 ↗ |
| 29 | "PPE is not necessary where the risk is insignificant." | The risk of a cut from a utility knife is not insignificant, and it doesn't reduce because the task is intermittent. | L25 ↗ |
| 35 | The use of PPE must not increase the overall level of risk. | A higher cut level must be balanced against dexterity and comfort. | L25 ↗ |
| 38(b) | How long PPE has to be worn is a factor in selecting the right PPE. | It decides which PPE, not whether PPE is required. | L25 ↗ |
| 67 | "Accommodation can be simple (for example, pegs for weatherproof clothing, safety helmets or hard hats)." | A glove clip is simple accommodation at the point of use. | L25 ↗ |
| 69 | "Users must be trained in the proper use of PPE, how to correctly fit and wear it, and what its limitations are." | Brief and record. | L25 ↗ |
| 78 | "Supervision is also vital to ensure PPE is properly used both on and off site." Spot checks are a useful way of monitoring how well PPE is used. | Glove use belongs in supervisory and spot checks. | L25 ↗ |
| 95(a) | Lists protection from cuts and abrasions, for example when handling sharp or pointed objects, as a situation where hand protection could be required. | Knife work and handling sharp materials are both covered. | L25 ↗ |
What this means
Optional gloves for "occasional" knife use are unlikely to meet Regulation 10
Where gloves aren't kept to hand, or wearing them is left to personal choice, operators are likely to skip them for short tasks. That arrangement is unlikely to meet the employer's duty under Regulation 10 to take all reasonable steps to ensure PPE is properly used. Short, unplanned cutting tasks are where hand injuries often occur, because the task is less routine and the operator is less prepared.
Section 3 · Getting it right
Cut Levels & Good Practice
Reading a glove rating, and the controls that make PPE work
Reading an EN 388 rating
What "4X42F" on a glove means
BS EN 388:2016+A1:2018 covers protective gloves against mechanical risks. Each character in the rating is a separate test result.
| Position | Test | Scale | Example: 4X42F |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abrasion resistance | 0–4 | 4 |
| 2 | Cut resistance (coupe test) | 1–5, or X if not tested | X |
| 3 | Tear resistance | 1–4 | 4 |
| 4 | Puncture resistance | 1–4 | 2 |
| 5 | Cut resistance (ISO 13997) | A–F (F is highest) | F |
| 6 | Impact protection (optional) | P if passed | – |
Level E or F? HSE does not specify a cut level. The legal test is that the glove is suitable for the risk identified in the risk assessment, taking into account injury history, blade type and frequency of use. A higher cut level must be balanced against grip, dexterity and comfort, because PPE must not increase the overall level of risk (L25 para 35).
What good looks like
| Control | Legal basis | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safer tools first: self-retracting or concealed-blade safety knives reduce the risk at source, before PPE is relied on. | L25 26 |
| 2 | A clear site rule: cut-resistant gloves for every knife task, however short or infrequent. | Reg 10 · L25 29, 38(b) |
| 3 | Gloves at the point of use: glove clips or simple storage, so gloves are always to hand. | Reg 8 · L25 67 |
| 4 | Briefing and training on the rule, the reasons for it, and how to wear and check gloves, with every briefing recorded. | Reg 9 · L25 69 |
| 5 | Supervision and spot checks that include glove use for knife tasks. | Reg 10 · L25 78 |
| 6 | A documented risk assessment recording the chosen cut level and the reasons for it. | Reg 4 · L25 35 |
Sources
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended by the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022), Regulations 4, 8, 9 and 10. legislation.gov.uk
HSE, Personal protective equipment at work: Guidance on Regulations, L25, 4th edition, 2022. Paras 26, 29, 35, 38(b), 67, 69, 78, 95(a). hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l25.pdf · HSE, Personal protective equipment (PPE) at work hse.gov.uk/ppe · Extended scope of the PPE Regulations (2022) hse.gov.uk
BS EN 388:2016+A1:2018, Protective gloves against mechanical risks.
