Standards for issuing protective clothing: Top 5 most frequent questions and answers for employers
The issuance of special clothing in Ukraine is regulated by several normative legal acts and serves as a critical tool for occupational safety. Proper management of this process helps not only to avoid fines but also ensures the safety of employees. Below, we address the TOP-5 most common questions from employers and provide specific answers.
Which legislative acts form the basis for special clothing regulations in Ukraine?
In Ukraine, the rules for issuing and using special clothing, footwear, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) are governed primarily by the following documents:
- Law of Ukraine "On Occupational Safety" (№2694-XII dated 14.10.1992): establishes general principles for workplace safety management and obligates employers to provide safe working conditions, including supplying special clothing.
- Labor Code of Ukraine (KZpP): regulates labor relations and contains general standards for employee safety and health protection.
- Normative legal acts on occupational safety (NPAOP): including sector-specific regulations detailing the free issuance of PPE, differentiated by industry (construction, mining, food industry, etc.).
- Orders and decrees of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Policy (including joint documents): define requirements for specific protective equipment types (respirators, protective suits, footwear, etc.).
Employers must be familiar with sector-specific standards to accurately determine what special clothing should be issued and at what intervals.
Who must be provided with special clothing, and how to determine its type?
Work clothing must be issued to employees whose professions or positions involve potential health or safety risks.
Below is an example of a generalized table (presenting main points; in practice, it's necessary to refer to specific occupational safety regulatory acts (NPAOP) for each industry):
| Industry | Basic Set | Additional Set/PPE |
| Construction | Helmet, protective suit, gloves, footwear with protective toe caps | Respirator (for dusty works), earplugs (for noisy environments) |
| Food Industry | Waterproof robe/suit, headwear, gloves | Anti-slip footwear, disposable masks |
| Metallurgy | Fire-resistant suit, heat-resistant gloves, footwear, respirators | Aprons, additional protection for hands and legs |
| Agriculture | Protective suit, gloves, boots | Tightly fitting goggles, oversleeves, knee pads, masks (when spraying chemicals) |
| Medical Institutions | Robe/suit, masks, gloves, cap | Respirators, face shields, disposable surgical gowns, shoe covers |
Determining special clothing types is based on industry-specific PPE norms. Each employer must study relevant industry documents to choose the proper set for a particular occupation.
How often should workwear be updated?
The frequency of updating workwear is also regulated by industry standards (NPАOT) and the company's internal acts. However, the following timeframes are most common:
Winter and summer workwear: usually issued once a year or every two years (depending on the intensity of wear and the specifics of the work).
Gloves, respirators, masks: these are consumables; a certain quantity may be issued monthly, quarterly, or as wear occurs.
Protective footwear: on average once a year, but sometimes more often — if working conditions imply rapid wear (for example, in mines or at chemical plants).
If the clothing is damaged or loses its protective properties before the scheduled time, the employer is obliged to replace it early. This obligation does not depend on the approved schedule or the company's budget.
Which documents confirm the issuance of workwear?
|
For documentary confirmation, the following exist: Personal PPE accounting card (or issuance log): it reflects the issuance date, type of workwear, quantity, and the signatures of the worker and the responsible person. PPE issuance order: often used during mass issuance when several items of workwear need to be processed at once for a group of employees. Write-off acts: compiled when the workwear's service life has ended or if it fails prematurely.
The organization of PPE accounting is one of the key aspects for successfully passing inspections. All documents must be stored in the company's archive in accordance with established rules. |
Example of filling out the workwear issuance card:
|
What fines does the employer face for non-compliance with the standards?
Non-compliance with the workwear issuance standards may lead to administrative and even criminal liability in cases where the violation has resulted in severe consequences for the employee’s health. In particular:
Administrative fines: can range from several tens to several hundreds of NMDF (non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens). The amount depends on the severity of the violation.
Example of sanctions for violations in the field of labor protection:
Individuals Held Responsible |
||
| Violation of legislative and other regulatory acts on labor protection |
Art. 41 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine: Fine for employees from 4 to 10 NMDF (from 68 to 170 UAH). For officials and citizens — business entities from 12 to 40 NMDF (from 340 to 680 UAH). |
Employees and officials of enterprises, institutions, organizations regardless of the form of ownership, as well as citizens — business entities |
| Violation or non-fulfillment of obligations under the collective agreement |
Art. 41-2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine: Fine from 50 to 100 NMDF (from 850 to 1700 UAH). |
Persons representing owners or authorized bodies, as well as trade unions or other bodies authorized by the labor collective, and representatives of labor collectives |
Suspension of activity: The State Labor Service of Ukraine has the right to demand the suspension of the enterprise's work until the violations are eliminated.
Criminal liability arises if, due to non-compliance with labor protection standards, an employee sustains serious injuries or dies.
To avoid such sanctions, it is essential to conduct timely inspections of the availability and quality of PPE, maintain records, and properly document the issuance of workwear.
You can buy high-quality footwear, personal protective equipment, and workwear in Ukraine at the "Sever-Specodezhda" online store https://mestprom.com/en. The website features products from top Ukrainian and international manufacturers.