Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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Personal protective equipment (PPE) is any wearable device or clothing designed to protect workers from workplace hazards, including hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, high-visibility vests and hearing protection.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to wearable items designed to protect workers from health and safety hazards that cannot be adequately controlled through other means. Common PPE includes hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, hearing protection, respiratory protection, gloves, and fall-arrest harnesses. Under the hierarchy of controls, PPE is the last line of defence, used when higher-order controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative) cannot reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
Where PPE sits in the hierarchy of control
Regulation 36 of the model Work Health and Safety Regulations (5 December 2025) sets the order. If a risk can't be eliminated, the duty holder must minimise it by substitution, isolation or engineering controls, then by administrative controls for any risk that remains, and only then by ensuring the provision and use of suitable personal protective equipment. A combination can be used if one control is not enough.
The Regulations define personal protective equipment as anything used or worn by a person to minimise risk to their health and safety, including air supplied respiratory equipment (regulation 5). It is not limited to clothing.
Victoria is not a model WHS state; its duties sit under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. This page is general information, not legal advice: confirm the detail with your state or territory regulator.
Sources: Safe Work Australia: model Work Health and Safety Regulations (5 December 2025)
Who must do what
Division 5 of Part 3.2 of the model Regulations splits the PPE duties between the business that directs the work, its workers and anyone else at the workplace.
| Who | Duty | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| PCBU directing the work | Provide the PPE to workers, unless another PCBU, such as a labour hire company, has already provided it | Regulation 44(2) |
| PCBU directing the work | Make sure the PPE is suitable for the work and its hazards; a suitable size and fit and reasonably comfortable; maintained, repaired or replaced so it stays clean, hygienic and in good working order; and used or worn, so far as is reasonably practicable | Regulation 44(3) |
| PCBU directing the work | Give workers information, training and instruction in the proper use and wearing of the PPE, and its storage and maintenance | Regulation 44(4) |
| PCBU directing the work | Make sure PPE used by people other than workers, such as visitors, can minimise their risk, and that they use or wear it, so far as is reasonably practicable | Regulation 45 |
| Any PCBU | Not charge a worker, or let a worker be charged, for anything done or provided in relation to work health and safety; the note to regulation 44 applies this to PPE | Section 273 of the Act |
| Worker | Use or wear the PPE as instructed, so far as reasonably able; not intentionally misuse or damage it; and report any damage, defect or need to clean or decontaminate it | Regulation 46 |
| Other people at the workplace | Wear PPE in line with the PCBU's information, training or reasonable instruction | Regulation 47 |
PPE duties, regulations 44 to 47 of the model WHS Regulations and section 273 of the model WHS Act (5 December 2025)
Regulations 44(2), 44(4) and 45 carry a tier E maximum penalty, a base amount of $8,400 for an individual and $42,000 for a body corporate. Section 273 carries tier F, $7,000 and $35,000, and the worker and visitor duties in regulations 46 and 47 carry tier G, a $5,000 base maximum for an individual. These are the Schedule 4 base amounts in the model WHS Act, indexed for CPI from 1 July 2024.
Sources: Safe Work Australia: model Work Health and Safety Regulations (5 December 2025) · Safe Work Australia: model Work Health and Safety Bill (5 December 2025)
Keeping PPE effective
PPE is a control measure, so regulation 37 applies: it must be maintained so that it remains effective, including by being fit for purpose, suitable for the nature and duration of the work, and installed, set up and used correctly. Regulation 38 requires control measures to be reviewed and, as necessary, revised.
For harnesses and other individual fall arrest equipment, Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice on falls says each component should be inspected by a competent person after it is installed and before it is used, at regular intervals, and immediately after it has arrested a fall, following the manufacturer's specifications and the relevant standards.
Sources: Safe Work Australia: model Work Health and Safety Regulations (5 December 2025) · Safe Work Australia: model Code of Practice, Managing the risk of falls at workplaces (October 2018)
Key facts you can cite
Regulation 36 of the model WHS Regulations puts PPE last, for any risk that remains after elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering and administrative controls.
Source: Safe Work Australia, model Work Health and Safety Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
The PCBU that directs the work must provide PPE to workers unless another PCBU, such as a labour hire company, has already provided it (regulation 44(2)).
Source: Safe Work Australia, model Work Health and Safety Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
A PCBU must not charge a worker for anything done or provided in relation to work health and safety, including PPE (section 273 of the model WHS Act, and the note to regulation 44).
Source: Safe Work Australia, model Work Health and Safety Bill, checked 21 September 2026
Workers must tell the PCBU about any damage to, defect in, or need to clean or decontaminate PPE they have been given (regulation 46(4)).
Source: Safe Work Australia, model Work Health and Safety Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
The model Regulations define PPE as anything used or worn by a person to minimise risk to their health and safety, including air supplied respiratory equipment (regulation 5).
Source: Safe Work Australia, model Work Health and Safety Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
Reuse these lines with attribution: cite the named primary source, and link this page if the summary helped.
Why it matters
PPE is mandatory under Australian WHS legislation wherever residual risk remains after applying higher-order controls. Employers must provide PPE at no cost, ensure it is fit for purpose, maintain it in serviceable condition, and train workers in its correct use. Failure to manage PPE properly exposes workers to preventable injuries and the organisation to enforcement action, fines, and workers compensation claims.
How MapTrack helps
MapTrack tracks PPE as assets with inspection schedules, expiry dates, and assignment records, ensuring every item is inspected on time, replaced before it degrades, and traceable to the worker it was issued to.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the employer obligations for PPE in Australia?
Under the model WHS Regulations, the PCBU that directs the work must provide PPE to workers, unless another PCBU such as a labour hire company has already provided it (regulation 44). It must make sure the PPE is suitable for the nature of the work and any hazard present, a suitable size and fit and reasonably comfortable, kept clean, hygienic and in good working order, and used or worn so far as is reasonably practicable. It must provide information, training and instruction on its correct use, storage and maintenance, and replace PPE that is damaged or past its service life. It can't charge workers for it (section 273 of the WHS Act). Workers have a corresponding duty to use PPE as instructed, not misuse or damage it, and report damage or defects (regulation 46).
How often should PPE be inspected?
Inspection frequency depends on the PPE type and the manufacturer’s recommendations. Fall-arrest harnesses should be formally inspected at least every six months by a competent person, with a pre-use visual check before each use. Hard hats should be replaced according to the manufacturer’s stated service life, typically every three to five years. Respiratory protection requires fit testing and filter replacement at defined intervals. All inspections should be documented.
Why is PPE considered the last line of defence?
The hierarchy of controls ranks control measures from most to least effective. Regulation 36 of the model WHS Regulations sets the order: eliminate the risk if you can; if not, minimise it with substitution, isolation or engineering controls; then administrative controls; and finally PPE for any risk that remains. PPE is last because it does not remove or reduce the hazard itself; it only places a barrier between the worker and the hazard. If the PPE fails, is worn incorrectly, or is not suitable for the hazard, the worker is fully exposed. Higher-order controls should always be considered first.
Related terms
Pre-Start Inspection
A pre-start inspection is a systematic check performed on plant, equipment, or vehicles before each use or shift to identify defects, damage, or unsafe conditions. It typically follows a standardised checklist covering safety-critical items such as brakes, steering, lights, tyres, guards, fluid levels, and warning devices. In Australia the legal duty behind it is the requirement to inspect plant in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, so where an operator's manual specifies a check before each shift, that check is how the duty is met.
WHS compliance software
WHS compliance software is a digital WHS management system that helps organisations meet Work Health and Safety obligations by managing inspections, incident records, risk assessments, corrective actions, contractor compliance, regulatory reporting and audit trails. It replaces paper registers, spreadsheets and email chains with a searchable system of record that shows what was checked, when it was checked, who completed it, what failed and what evidence was attached.
Compliance Management
Compliance management in asset-intensive industries is the systematic process of ensuring that equipment, operations, and personnel meet all applicable regulatory, safety, environmental, and contractual requirements. It encompasses tracking inspection due dates, certifications, licences, safety checks, environmental obligations, and industry-specific standards. Compliance management requires both proactive scheduling and thorough record-keeping.
AS/NZS 3760
AS/NZS 3760 is the joint Australian and New Zealand standard covering the in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment, commonly known as test and tag. It sets out how portable electrical appliances should be visually inspected, electrically tested, and tagged, and provides recommended testing intervals based on the operating environment. It is the technical basis competent persons follow when carrying out test and tag.
Cite this definition
Writing about this topic? You’re welcome to quote this definition. Here’s the wording to use so your readers can find the original.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to wearable items designed to protect workers from health and safety hazards that cannot be adequately controlled through other means.
- Short attribution
- MapTrack Glossary: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), https://www.maptrack.com/glossary/ppe
- Reference list
- MapTrack. (2026). Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) [Glossary definition]. Retrieved from https://www.maptrack.com/glossary/ppe
Free to reuse with credit under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. If you’d rather link straight to it, the page is https://www.maptrack.com/glossary/ppe.
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