Document Ref	Version	Review Date	Classification
THCP-PPE-001	1.0	Annually	Internal Policy

This Policy applies to all personnel engaged by Thornton Hall Country Park Ltd (Company No. 09438826), including but not limited to:

• Permanent and fixed-term employees
• Seasonal and temporary workers, including event and holiday staff
• Agency and zero-hours workers
• Apprentices and work experience placements
• Contractors and sub-contractors working on Company premises
• Volunteers working under Company supervision
• Any individual representing the Company in an official capacity

This Policy is established in compliance with the following legislation and statutory instruments:

Legislation / Regulation	Relevance to this Policy
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974	Primary duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees and members of the public visiting the site.
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended by PPER 2022)	Employer obligation to provide suitable PPE to employees exposed to health and safety risks. PPE must be suitable, maintained, and used correctly.
Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999	Requires employers to conduct suitable and sufficient risk assessments and implement appropriate control measures across all farm, outdoor, indoor, and event operations.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)	Applicable to all farm machinery, tractors, trailers, groundskeeping equipment, ride-on mowers, and other work equipment used across the site.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)	Governs exposure to animal waste, cleaning chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides, and other substances used in farm, maintenance, and catering operations.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992	Applicable to the movement of animal feed, equipment, catering supplies, event infrastructure, and maintenance materials across the site.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)	Requires reporting of specified workplace injuries, including those arising from animal contact, machinery, or visitor interactions.
Food Safety Act 1990 and Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006	Applicable to catering and food preparation staff; specifies hygiene requirements including appropriate protective clothing and head coverings.
Employment Rights Act 1996	Governs lawful deductions from wages, including in respect of unreturned Company property.
Equality Act 2010	Requires the Company to make reasonable adjustments to Uniform/PPE requirements where a disability or protected characteristic is relevant.

Thornton Hall Country Park Ltd hereby commits to the following obligations:

• The Company shall provide, at no cost to the employee, all Uniform and PPE items deemed necessary following a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the relevant role and working environment.
• All PPE provided shall conform to the relevant British Standards (BS EN) and/or CE/UKCA marking requirements applicable at the time of issue.
• The Company shall ensure that all PPE is appropriate to the risks identified, fits the individual employee correctly, and is compatible with any other PPE required to be worn simultaneously.

• The Company shall ensure that all employees required to wear PPE receive adequate instruction and training in its correct use, fitting, adjustment, and storage.
• Employees shall be made aware of the risks against which the PPE provides protection, the reasons for its mandatory use, and the actions required in the event of damage or loss.

• The Company shall maintain all PPE in good working order and in a satisfactory hygienic condition.
• The Company shall ensure that defective or damaged PPE is replaced promptly and that no employee is required to work without adequate protection pending replacement.
• Appropriate storage facilities for PPE shall be provided in staff areas across the site.

• Employees must wear solely the Company-issued Uniform and PPE during all working hours, whilst on Company premises or when acting in any capacity as a representative of the Company.
• The wearing of PPE is not optional. Refusal to wear required PPE is a serious disciplinary matter and may result in the employee being removed from the workplace without pay pending investigation.
• Employees are expressly prohibited from wearing Uniform or PPE not officially issued or approved by the Company, or from modifying PPE in any manner that may impair its protective function.

• Employees are responsible for maintaining all issued Uniform and PPE in a clean, presentable, and serviceable condition throughout the course of their employment.
• Employees must report any defect, damage, loss, or deterioration of PPE to their line manager or a designated Health & Safety representative immediately upon discovery.
• Employees must not attempt to repair, modify, or interfere with PPE without explicit written authorisation from a competent person.
• Wilful damage to, or misuse of, Company-issued Uniform or PPE shall constitute a disciplinary offence and may result in the employee being liable for the cost of replacement.

• Employees must store all PPE in accordance with manufacturer instructions and in the designated storage areas provided when not in use.
• PPE used in animal care, farm, or catering areas must be kept separate from personal clothing and must not be worn in food preparation areas unless specifically issued for that purpose.
• PPE must not be taken off-site without prior management authorisation, except where required for authorised off-site duties.

• All items of Company-issued Uniform and PPE must be returned to the Company in good and serviceable condition (subject to fair wear and tear arising from normal authorised use) no later than the final day of employment.
• All Uniform and PPE items remain the sole property of Thornton Hall Country Park Ltd at all times. The employee holds no proprietary interest in any such items.
• Failure to return Uniform or PPE, or the return of items that have been wilfully damaged or that show signs of misuse, shall entitle the Company to take one or more of the following actions:

1.	Deduct the replacement cost of unreturned or wilfully damaged items from any outstanding wages, holiday pay, or final salary payment, strictly in accordance with the Employment Rights Act 1996 and subject to any applicable written deduction authorisation.
2.	Pursue civil recovery proceedings against the former employee for the value of any unreturned or damaged items, including associated legal costs where recoverable.
3.	Report the matter to the relevant authorities where the unreturned items constitute a health and safety risk or where theft is suspected.

The following table sets out the minimum PPE requirements by role category. Role-specific requirements are determined by risk assessment and may be updated from time to time. Employees will be notified of any changes.

Role Category	Minimum PPE Requirements
Farm & Animal Care Staff	Safety footwear (steel-toe cap, S3 rated, waterproof), waterproof overtrousers or bib-and-brace, Company uniform/polo shirt, waterproof jacket in wet conditions, disposable nitrile gloves when handling animals or cleaning enclosures, hand hygiene products. Zoonosis awareness training required. RPE (FFP2) if generating dust in dry bedding areas.
Groundskeeping & Site Maintenance	Safety footwear (S3 rated), hi-visibility vest/jacket (EN ISO 20471 Class 2+) when operating in vehicle movement or road-adjacent zones, safety glasses, heavy-duty work gloves, hearing protection when operating ride-on mowers, strimmers, or power tools. Chainsaw PPE (helmet with visor, chainsaw trousers, gloves, boots to EN 381) when undertaking arboricultural work.
Safari Ride / Tractor & Trailer Drivers	Safety footwear, hi-visibility vest, Company uniform. Pre-use vehicle checks mandatory. Appropriate PPE for any manual coupling/uncoupling of trailers. Hearing protection for prolonged tractor operation.
Outdoor Play & Adventures Staff	Company uniform, appropriate footwear for the terrain and activity supervised, hi-visibility vest where required. Activity-specific PPE (helmets, harnesses) as required by individual activity risk assessments; all activity PPE to EN standard appropriate to the activity. Staff not to supervise activities without completing relevant activity-specific training.
Indoor Soft Play Supervisors	Company uniform, clean non-slip footwear appropriate to the play environment. Disposable gloves for first aid or cleaning duties. No jewellery that presents a snagging risk to young visitors.
Catering & Food Preparation	Company uniform with clean apron, hair restraint (hat or net, mandatory), non-slip safety footwear, disposable gloves when handling unwrapped food. Cut-resistant gloves for knife work. No jewellery other than a plain wedding band. Full compliance with food hygiene and allergen training requirements.
Events, Box Office & Customer Services	Company uniform. Outdoor event staff: hi-visibility clothing and waterproofs for evening/night events (Bonfire Weekend, Screams!, Christmas Adventure). Suitable footwear for outdoor ground conditions. Crowd management and emergency evacuation awareness required.
Cleaning & Housekeeping	Company uniform, disposable nitrile gloves, eye protection when using chemical cleaning agents, suitable footwear (non-slip). COSHH-appropriate RPE when using high-concentration cleaning chemicals. Colour-coded cleaning equipment to prevent cross-contamination between animal and public areas.
Office & Administration	Company-branded uniform where applicable. Appropriate footwear and PPE (hi-vis, safety footwear at minimum) required on entry to farm, maintenance, or outdoor operational areas.

The following standards apply to the wearing of Company Uniform at all times:

• Company Uniform must be worn in accordance with the guidelines issued at the time of provision.
• Uniform must be clean and in good repair at all times during working hours. Farm and outdoor staff are expected to arrive with clean uniform and change into site-issued overgarments as required.
• Personal clothing worn beneath or alongside Company Uniform must not be visible in a manner that detracts from a professional appearance unless expressly permitted.
• Employees must not alter, deface, or add to Company Uniform without written management approval.
• Company logos and branding must not be obscured or defaced.
• Where the Company issues branded outerwear, this must be worn in preference to personal outerwear when on duty or representing the Company at external events.
• No political slogans, offensive imagery, or non-Company branding may be worn on any visible clothing during working hours.

The Company recognises its obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Employees who believe that a Uniform or PPE requirement disadvantages them due to a disability, medical condition, religious belief, or other protected characteristic are invited to raise this with their line manager or the senior management team.

The Company will give full consideration to any reasonable adjustment request and will endeavour to provide an alternative solution that meets both the individual's needs and the applicable health and safety requirements. No adjustment will be permitted where it would materially compromise the health and safety protection afforded by the PPE concerned.

Failure to comply with the requirements of this Policy will be treated as a disciplinary matter and may result in the following action, depending on the severity and frequency of the breach:

First instance / minor breach	Verbal warning and restatement of obligations. Record placed on personnel file.
Repeat or wilful breach	Formal written warning in accordance with the Company's Disciplinary Procedure.
Serious / persistent breach or refusal to wear PPE	Final written warning or dismissal, up to and including summary dismissal for gross misconduct, in accordance with the Company's Disciplinary Procedure.

Nothing in this Policy limits the Company's right to take immediate action, including exclusion from the site, where non-compliance presents an immediate risk to the health and safety of employees or members of the public.

This Policy shall be reviewed annually, or sooner in the event of:

• Changes to applicable legislation or statutory guidance
• Material changes to the Company's operations, attractions, workforce, or risk profile
• A significant PPE, Uniform, or animal/site safety-related incident or near-miss
• Feedback from employees, health and safety representatives, or enforcement authorities

The review shall be conducted by the Company's senior management team. Any amendments to this Policy will be communicated to all relevant personnel prior to implementation.

This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Nothing in this Policy shall limit or exclude any statutory rights of employees under applicable employment or health and safety legislation.