A FORMULA ONE driver is responsible for a 900 brake-horse-power petrol bomb which he must navigate as quickly as possible around a track at speeds of more than 200 mph.

After performance, safety is the car designer's main priority, and manifest systems are built into the chassis, engine, transmission and electronics to minimise the effects of technical failure, driver error or general racing misadventure.

The absolute last line of defence is the driver's personal, protective equipment (PPE): his crash helmet and fire-retardant gloves, overalls and boots.

In a crash situation (or even re-fuelling mishap) the driver's life could depend on this equipment should fire break out in the vital seconds between collision and rescue by race stewards or firefighters.

But you don't have to be an F1 driver to have an interest in PPE.

Millions of employees across the country owe their health and welfare to the PPE which must be provided free of charge by their employers.

The Health and Safety Executive defines PPE as: "All equipment (including clothing affording protection against weather) which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects against one or more risks to their health or safety.

"For example: safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses."

New materials such as Kevlar have created a revolution in the standard and performance of safety equipment.

However, there can still be some areas of contention over PPE use. The police, for example, feel safer wearing the latest safety vests to protect vital organs against knife or gun attacks.

But during hot weather it is uncomfortable and inconvenient, and can sometimes alarm the public in situations which don't warrant it.

Disposable latex gloves used by medical and health workers are made from natural rubber and are a cause of allergic contact dematitis and other conditions.

This was the source of a recent compensation award to a hospital worker. Ill-fitting PPE can have its effectiveness compromised: overly large equipment is more easily caught up in machinery.

Women can have the additional problem of wearing PPE which has been designed for men.

This can increase rather than decrease workplace hazards.

Employers are required to determine all exposures to hazards in their workplace and decide if PPE should be used to protect their workers.

If PPE is to be used, a PPE program should be started and maintained. This should identify and evaluate all hazards and describe how PPE should be selected, maintained and used.

It should include the training of employees in the use of PPE, and it should monitor the effectiveness of it in preventing injury or illness.

As the nature of the work or risks evolve over time, so should the PPE. Thousands of workers owe their lives to PPE, so although it may be a last resort it should never, ever, be underestimated.

As employers you can obtain free leaflets on the subjects from the Health and Safety Executive. Find out more online at www.hse.gov.uk