Question: In what instances should PPE and face coverings be provided by the employer?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Construction and other outdoor work
section_headers: 6. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and face coverings
section_content: In this section

6.1 Face coverings

PPE protects the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include
items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility
clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory
protective equipment, such as face masks.
Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-
COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so.
At the start of this document we described the steps you need to take to
manage COVID-19 risk in the workplace. This includes working from home and
staying 2m away from each other in the workplace if at all possible.When
managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is
not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the
risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social
distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.
The exception is clinical settings, like a hospital, or a small handful of
other roles for which Public Health England advises use of PPE, for example,
first responders and immigration enforcement officers. If you are in one of
these groups you should refer to the advice at:

COVID-19: personal protective equipment (PPE) plan
COVID-19: cleaning in non-healthcare settings

Workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect
against COVID-19 outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected
or confirmed case of COVID-19.
Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very
high, your risk assessment should reflect the fact that the role of PPE in
providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk
assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE free
of charge to workers who need it. Any PPE provided must fit properly.
[PPE]: Personal protective equipment
  [COVID-19]: coronavirus

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Provides guidance on which workplaces should provide PPE.
This lists instances when PPE should be used, rather than social distancing or working from home, but it does not mention when it should be provided by the employer.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Could be Improved

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Offices and contact centres
section_headers: 6. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and face coverings
section_content: In this section

6.1 Face coverings

PPE protects the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include
items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility
clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory
protective equipment, such as face masks.
Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-
COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so.
At the start of this document we described the steps you need to take to
manage COVID-19 risk in the workplace. This includes working from home and
staying 2m away from each other in the workplace if at all possible.When
managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is
not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the
risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social
distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.
The exception is clinical settings, like a hospital, or a small handful of
other roles for which Public Health England advises use of PPE, for example,
first responders and immigration enforcement officers. If you are in one of
these groups you should refer to the advice at:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): personal protective equipment (PPE) plan
Coronavirus (COVID-19): cleaning in non-healthcare settings

Workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect
against COVID-19 outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected
or confirmed case of COVID-19.
Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very
high, your risk assessment should reflect the fact that the role of PPE in
providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk
assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE free
of charge to workers who need it. Any PPE provided must fit properly.
[PPE]: Personal protective equipment
  [COVID-19]: coronavirus

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Describes which employers should and should not provide face coverings.
This lists examples of when employees should use PPE, but doesn't mention whether they should be provided by the employer.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Could be Improved

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Shops and branches
section_headers: 6. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and face coverings
6.1 Face coverings
section_content: There are some circumstances when wearing a face covering may be marginally
beneficial as a precautionary measure. The evidence suggests that wearing a
face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others if you are
infected but have not developed symptoms.
A face covering can be very simple and may be worn in enclosed spaces where
social distancing isn’t possible. It just needs to cover your mouth and nose.
It is not the same as a face mask, such as the surgical masks or respirators
used by health and care workers. Similarly, face coverings are not the same as
the PPE used to manage risks like dust and spray in an industrial context.
Supplies of PPE, including face masks, must continue to be reserved for those
who need them to protect against risks in their workplace, such as health and
care workers, and those in industrial settings like those exposed to dust
hazards.
It is important to know that the evidence of the benefit of using a face
covering to protect others is weak and the effect is likely to be small,
therefore face coverings are not a replacement for the other ways of managing
risk, including minimising time spent in contact, using fixed teams and
partnering for close-up work, and increasing hand and surface washing. These
other measures remain the best ways of managing risk in the workplace and
government would therefore not expect to see employers relying on face
coverings as risk management for the purpose of their health and safety
assessments.
Wearing a face covering is optional and is not required by law, including in
the workplace. If you choose to wear one, it is important to use face
coverings properly and wash your hands before putting them on and taking them
off.
Employers should support their workers in using face coverings safely if they
choose to wear one. This means telling workers:

wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and after removing it
when wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering, as you could contaminate them with germs from your hands
change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it
continue to wash your hands regularly
change and wash your face covering daily
if the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s not washable, dispose of it carefully in your usual waste
practise social distancing wherever possible

You can make face-coverings at home. Find guidance on how to wear and make a
face-covering on GOV.UK.
*[PPE]: Personal protective equipment

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Discusses the importance of PPE but doesn't discuss when employers should provide it.
This says that employers should encourage face coverings if their employees choose, but doesn't say anything about whether the employer should provide them.

Reviewer ratings:
Could be Improved
Could be Improved