Personal protective equipment is used where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other measures. This page brings together BSIF’s product surveillance findings, the Women’s Engineering Society’s 2024 wearer survey and HSE’s guidance. The testing sample is not a representative survey of every product sold in the UK.
Product performance, documentation and wearer fit are distinct issues. The figures below keep their sample and period explicit; a failure rate in a selected test programme is not the probability that an arbitrary purchase will be unsafe.
Key facts and figures
- 82% of the 88 non-member products in BSIF’s January 2025–January 2026 sample failed one or more compliance requirements.
- 18% — the share of the 88 non-member products tested that met all applicable regulatory requirements (Jan 2025–Jan 2026 cycle).
- 96% compliance rate for PPE from BSIF Registered Safety Suppliers, with issues typically minor documentation matters.
- 100% of the selected non-member hearing and fall-protection products tested failed the applicable criteria; these are sample results.
- 84% of respiratory protective equipment tested had ineffective filters — a product-compliance data point, not an exposure figure.
- 4% of female respondents reported a perfect PPE fit in WES’s 2024 report, based on a survey completed by 1,444 women.
- 61% of respondents who needed maternity PPE said it was not provided or they had to provide their own (WES 2024).
- 43% of BSIF’s selected non-member products had a direct technical-performance failure;82% includes documentation and marking failures.
Checked on 15 October 2026. BSIF’s figures cover January 2025–January 2026. WES’s findings are from its 2024 report and describe respondents’ experiences, not a census of all UK PPE users.
Where does PPE sit in the risk-assessment hierarchy of control?
InGreat Britain, employers must provide suitable PPE where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other, equally or more effective measures. The 2022 amendment extended the PPE at Work duties to relevant limb(b) workers as well as employees. Northern Ireland has separate legislation. PPE may be needed alongside other controls; its use should follow the assessment.
Select PPE for the hazard, task and wearer, check compatibility where several items are worn together and maintain it properly. Other controls may still reduce risk even if an item fails, but defective or poorly fitting PPE can undermine the protection expected from it.
What percentage of PPE fails safety and compliance testing in the UK?
BSIF assessed 88 products from outside its Registered Safety Supplier Scheme between January 2025 and January 2026, using 116 individual tests plus document and marking checks. It reported 82% overall non-compliance and 18% meeting all requirements. The selected surveillance sample does not establish a UK-wide product failure rate or a reliable year-on-year market trend.
BSIF separately reported 96% compliance among products from Registered Safety Suppliers. That scheme result is useful supplier information, but is not a guarantee that every item will fit the wearer or protect against a particular hazard. Suitability must still be assessed.
Because this is the anchor series for the page, it is worth being precise about what “failed” means: BSIF’s tests check products against the relevant standards and the documentation and marking that legally must accompany them. A failure can be a physical shortfall, a missing or invalid certificate, or incorrect CE/UKCA marking — all of which matter when the item is the residual control for a real workplace hazard.
Which PPE categories fail testing most often?
BSIF’s category results describe the products it selected for testing. All sampled hearing and fall-protection products from non-members failed relevant criteria. The table retains that sample scope; it does not imply that every product in those categories across the market fails.
| PPE category: selected non-member products | Reported failure | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing protection | 100% | Products selected for BSIF testing |
| Fall protection | 100% | Products selected for BSIF testing |
| Head protection | 94% | BSIF test criteria |
| Sports and motorcycle protective equipment | 91% | BSIF test criteria |
| Respiratory protective equipment | 84% | BSIF reported ineffective filters in its sample |
| High-visibility jackets | 84% | Brightness/visibility requirements in sample |
| Safety footwear | 79% | Overall compliance checks in sample |
| All non-member products assessed | 82% | 88 products;116 individual tests plus document checks |
BSIF reported ineffective filters in 84% of the selected RPE products. That is a finding about this sample, not all respirators. Protection also depends on selecting suitable equipment for the substance and task, and fit testing where tight-fitting RPE is used.
Is buying cheap or non-registered PPE online safe?
Price and an online sales channel do not by themselves establish safety. Check the product’s intended use, conformity documentation, markings, instructions and supplier reliability. BSIF’s results support careful verification but do not show that every non-member supplier sells unsafe products.
A product can fail compliance checks because of performance, certification, documentation or marking. BSIF reported direct technical-performance failures in 43% of its selected non-member products; the wider 82% total included other forms of non-compliance.
Supplier-scheme membership can inform purchasing checks, but the 18% and 96% sample results must not be converted into a buyer’s personal chance of obtaining suitable equipment. Employers still need to check the particular item and its suitability for the intended wearer and work.
How much PPE for women doesn’t fit properly?
WES’s 2024 report analysed a survey completed by 1,444 women across 15 sectors. Only 4% of respondents said their PPE fitted perfectly. The findings highlight problems experienced by that sample; they do not establish a male–female comparison or a prevalence rate for every UK worker.
The WES report describes women altering equipment or sometimes going without it because it did not fit. Improvised alterations can compromise protection. Report fit problems and obtain suitable alternatives rather than assuming altered equipment still meets its intended protective performance.
Fit should be checked for the individual and with any other equipment worn at the same time. For tight-fitting respiratory protection, an appropriate face-fit test is needed. A range of sizes alone does not demonstrate that a specific wearer is adequately protected.
What about maternity and pregnancy PPE?
Among respondents who had needed maternity PPE, WES reported 61% were not provided with it or had to supply their own;16% said it was provided. These figures concern that subgroup, not all pregnant women. An individual assessment should consider changing fit and whether the work can be carried out safely.
Review controls as pregnancy progresses and act where required PPE no longer fits or protects adequately. See our pregnancy risk assessment guide for the assessment and adjustment duties. PPE provision does not replace the wider assessment.
What should employers check when buying PPE?
The practical question is whether the equipment provides the protection identified by the assessment. Market revenue forecasts do not answer that. Specify the hazard, performance level, wearer fit and compatibility, and check the supplier’s documentation before relying on a product.
Provide required PPE without charging workers, explain its correct use and limitations, and arrange maintenance, storage and replacement. A reputable supplier can help with selection, but responsibility for suitable workplace controls remains with the dutyholder.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of PPE fails safety and compliance testing in the UK?
BSIF reported 82% non-compliance among 88 selected non-member products assessed between January 2025 and January 2026. Its scheme-member products had 96% compliance. These are test-programme results, not a representative failure rate for all PPE sold in the UK.
How much PPE for women doesn’t fit properly?
In WES’s 2024 report, based on a survey completed by 1,444 women,4% said their PPE fitted perfectly. Among respondents who needed maternity PPE,61% said it was not provided or they had to supply their own. These describe the relevant respondents, not all women.
Is buying cheap or non-registered PPE online safe?
Check the product and supplier rather than relying on price alone. Verify suitability, documentation, markings, instructions and wearer fit. BSIF scheme membership may help with supplier checks, but sample compliance rates do not guarantee any particular purchase.
Where does PPE sit in the risk-assessment hierarchy of control?
PPE protects against risks that cannot be adequately controlled by other equally or more effective measures. It may be required alongside engineering and organisational controls. InGreat Britain, the PPE at Work duties include relevant limb(b) workers as well as employees.
How often are these PPE statistics updated?
The page was checked on 15 October 2026. The latest BSIF testing period used here is January 2025–January 2026; the WES wearer findings are dated 2024. Future releases may use different samples, so trends require care.
Related guides
- Risk Assessment Statistics UK: Compliance Facts & Data
- HSE Enforcement Statistics UK: Fines, Prosecutions & Notices
- Work-Related Stress Statistics UK: HSE Facts & Data
- Pregnancy risk assessment: the employer’s duty explained
- The 5 steps to risk assessment: how to do one properly
Sources & references
- BSIF — Product surveillance results,January 2025–January 2026
- Women’s Engineering Society — PPE Survey Results 2024
- HSE — Personal protective equipment at work
- HSE — Respiratory protective equipment fit testing
- HSE — Individual risk assessment for pregnant workers and new mothers
PPE is the last line of defence — train your team to work up the hierarchy and control risk before it reaches the wearer.
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Mark writes about workplace health & safety, risk assessment and accredited online training for Risk Assessment Training, part of Online CPD Academy.