Cold Weather PPE: What UK Employers Must Provide This Winter

When the temperature drops, most businesses think about heating bills. Fewer think about whether the people working in the cold are properly protected, or whether the winter clothing handed out in October actually meets the standard the job needs. This guide covers what UK law expects of employers in cold weather, what the main cold-weather PPE markings mean, and what to check before you buy.

What the Law Says About Working in the Cold

There is no single “cold weather law” in Great Britain. Instead, three sets of rules work together.

• Indoors. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require a reasonable temperature in workrooms. HSE’s guidance puts the minimum at normally at least 16°C, or 13°C where much of the work involves rigorous physical effort.
• Outdoors. There is no legal minimum temperature for outdoor work. Employers still have to assess the risk of working in the cold and control it, as part of their general health and safety duties.
• PPE. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 apply. Where a risk assessment shows PPE is needed, employers must provide suitable equipment, give instruction on using it, and maintain and store it properly.

Two points regularly catch businesses out. First, PPE must be provided free of charge: you cannot charge workers for equipment they need to do their job. Second, since 6 April 2022 these duties also cover many casual and gig-economy workers, known as “limb (b)” workers, not just employees. HSE explains the extended scope here. Genuinely self-employed people are not covered.

PPE Is the Last Line of Defence

HSE’s advice for cold conditions starts with how the work is organised, not with clothing. For outdoor working, that means more frequent rest breaks, somewhere warm to recover with hot drinks or soup, and, where it can be done safely, moving work to warmer periods of the year. Indoors, it means local heating where a whole room cannot be kept warm, fewer draughts, job rotation to limit time in cold areas, and insulating floor coverings or suitable footwear for people who stand on cold floors for long periods.

It also means teaching people to recognise the early signs of cold stress, and paying closer attention to anyone more vulnerable, such as workers who are pregnant or have certain health conditions. Protective clothing then covers the risk that is left, and it has to suit the conditions people actually work in.

Cold-Weather PPE Standards in Plain English

The label on winter PPE tells you what it was tested to do. These are the standards worth knowing.

Clothing for cool conditions: EN 14058

For environments above −5°C, such as warehouses, loading bays and most outdoor work in a typical British winter. Garments are classed by how well they insulate, and are often also tested for wind and water resistance.

Clothing for real cold: EN 342

For environments below −5°C, such as cold stores and freezer work. The marking shows an insulation value, an air permeability class from 1 to 3 (3 is the most windproof) and, where tested, a water penetration class.

Protection against rain: EN 343

In a British winter, wet is often a bigger problem than cold, because damp clothing loses much of its insulation. For outdoor work, rain protection matters as much as warmth.

Gloves: EN 511

Cold-rated gloves carry three numbers: resistance to cold air, resistance to cold surfaces (both 0 to 4, where higher is better) and water penetration (0 or 1). If the work involves handling materials, check the EN 388 marking for cut and abrasion too. A warm glove that is too clumsy for the task is a glove that comes off.

Safety footwear: EN ISO 20345

Look for CI, which means the footwear has been tested for cold insulation. The 2022 edition of the standard also changed the slip-resistance markings: the old SRA, SRB and SRC have been replaced by SR, and the new S7 class means the boot is waterproof as well as having an anti-penetration sole.

High visibility: EN ISO 20471

Shorter days mean more work in the dark. Check that the class suits the setting (class 3 is the highest), and that a winter jacket worn over hi-vis does not simply cover it up. Insulated hi-vis jackets solve both problems at once.

A quick field check: if a jacket is sold as “thermal” or “winter” but the label carries no EN standard at all, you have no evidence of how it performs in the cold.

Before You Buy: A Winter PPE Checklist

1. Match the garment to the temperature. EN 14058 above −5°C, EN 342 below it.
2. Check the marking is on the product itself, not only the packaging.
3. Ask for the Declaration of Conformity. A reputable supplier can produce it quickly. Our buyer’s guide to compliant PPE covers the paperwork in more detail.
4. Check sizing and fit with layers on. Badly fitting PPE is less likely to be worn.
5. Think about wet as well as cold, and about dexterity for gloves.
6. Keep a record of what was issued and to whom, and replace anything worn or damaged.

Red Flags

• “Thermal” or “winter” in the product name, but no EN standard on the label.
• Gloves sold as cold-rated with no EN 511 numbers.
• Boots described as “insulated” without a CI marking.
• A supplier who cannot produce a Declaration of Conformity on request.

How We Handle This

Our aim is the same as it is for all the PPE we supply: to source through established manufacturers and authorised distributors, and to provide conformity documentation with orders rather than waiting to be asked. For winter equipment, that means matching each item to the conditions in your risk assessment, so the paperwork is on file before the first cold snap rather than after an incident.