Work clothing protects your own clothes from damage and dirt, while personal protective equipment (PPE) protects your health from hazards at the workstation. The employer selects both to match the type of work and issues them before it starts, and the employee is required to use them. The equipment remains the employer's property.

Employer duties: what work clothing and protection cover

The employer supplies equipment suited to the hazards of the position: gloves, safety footwear, goggles, hearing protection, a helmet. Work clothing and footwear, wherever the employee's own clothes would be damaged or heavily soiled, or where technological, sanitary or health-and-safety (BHP) reasons require it. The basis is the Labour Code (Kodeks pracy), the chapter on personal protective equipment and work clothing and footwear. Under a mandate contract (umowa zlecenia), the company also ensures safe conditions for people who work on its premises.

The duty does not end with handing over the equipment. A worn or damaged protective item is replaced with a new one, and the employee uses the equipment as intended and as instructed. Personal protective equipment must carry CE marking, and the employee should know which hazard each item of equipment protects them from.

For temporary work, protective equipment is selected for the hazards at the specific position in the host company, and the division of roles is covered in the article on health and safety in temporary work. If something is missing, report it to the shop-floor supervisor or the coordinator.

What protective equipment is often required at typical positions

In production, gloves, safety goggles, hearing protection and safety footwear are usually needed, and near machines, close-fitting clothing without loose elements. In a warehouse, the basics are safety footwear and a hi-vis vest, and when moving loads, also gloves. In a cold store, insulated clothing is added along with gloves and footwear that protect against cold. The exact set depends on the risk assessment for the given position, so ask the coordinator about the requirements before your first day.

For work in noise, hearing protection is selected to dampen sound while still letting warning signals be heard. Where there is dust or fumes, respiratory protection is added, and wherever something could fall from above or you work under a raised load, also a helmet. On food production lines, for sanitary reasons, caps, aprons and disposable gloves are often required.

Duty to use and care for the equipment

The employee is required to use the issued protective equipment as intended and as instructed, including for short tasks. Before a shift, check that the equipment is not damaged, store it in the designated place, and do not lend it to others, since items such as gloves or hearing protection are fitted to a specific person.

When equipment is first issued, the supervisor shows how to put it on and adjust it, and how to tell when it needs replacing. Fit matters as much as the equipment itself: gloves that are too big can be caught by moving machine parts, and poorly fitted goggles slip and fog up. Equipment put away after a shift in a locker or designated place keeps its protective properties longer.

What to do if a protective item is damaged or does not fit

  1. Do not work in damaged equipment, because it stops protecting you.
  2. Report it right away to the shop-floor supervisor or the coordinator, including when gloves, boots or clothing are the wrong size.
  3. Until the matter is resolved, do not replace the required item with your own substitute without your supervisor's consent.

The first day at a new job is when the equipment should already be ready, check what else to ask about in the article on your first day at work.

Other matters from the first weeks, such as the contract and pay, are covered in separate articles, and if something is unclear, ask the coordinator.

Frequently asked questions

What to do if protective equipment is missing during temporary work?

Protective equipment is selected for the hazards at the specific position in the host company. If something is missing or the equipment does not fit, report it to the shop-floor supervisor or the coordinator.

How does work clothing differ from personal protective equipment?

Work clothing protects your own clothes from damage and dirt. Personal protective equipment, such as gloves, goggles, hearing protection or safety footwear, protects your health from hazards at the workstation.

Do you have to wear protective equipment through the whole shift?

Yes, at any position where it is required, including for short tasks. If the equipment gets in the way of work or is damaged, report it to the shop-floor supervisor or the coordinator.

Do you have to return work clothing after leaving the job?

Yes, the equipment is the employer's property and is meant for work at the company. The coordinator will tell you how and where to return it when the job ends.

This text describes the general rules. What you are entitled to depends on your type of contract: an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie). Your own contract and payslip are what count.
This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The rules change, and the outcome depends on the situation of the particular person, so check the current legal position or consult a lawyer before making a decision.