Sector guide · Construction & civils
Every UK site starts from the same induction checklist — hi-vis, safety boots, head protection — and then the trade takes over. A groundworker's kit list and a site manager's barely overlap beyond the baseline. Here's the baseline, and what each trade stacks on top.
The baseline
Principal contractors set the entry requirements, and on most UK sites they've converged: hi-vis upper body (Class 2 vest or better — Class 3 near live traffic), S3 safety boots (toe cap, midsole, water-resistant — the codes decoded), and a hard hat. Gloves and eye protection follow the task rather than the gate.
Two things trip people up. First, the site rules are usually stricter than the law — "S3 boots with ankle support" is a contract condition, not an HSE requirement, and arguing the difference at the gate doesn't work. Second, the baseline is a floor: it protects you from the site's general risks, not your trade's specific ones. That's what the rest of the kit list is for.
By trade
Baseline assumed: Class 2 hi-vis, S3 boots, hard hat.
| Trade | Adds | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Groundworker | Orange or yellow Class 3, waterproof trousers, S5 wellingtons for pours, cut-level B+ gloves | Open trenches, standing water, kerbs and blockwork |
| Steel fixer / formwork | Cut-level C+ gloves, knee pads, scuff-cap boots | Rebar ends and tying wire eat standard gloves |
| Joiner / shopfitter | Dexterity-first coated gloves, holster trousers | Fine motor work — over-gloving gets gloves removed |
| Bricklayer | Abrasion-4 gloves, knee pads, thermal liners in winter | Block texture grinds fingertips; static kneeling |
| Site manager / engineer | Class 3 jacket, softshell mid-layer, clean spare boots | Perimeter walks in all weather, client meetings after |
| Plant operator | Class 3 (dismounting into traffic), P-rated impact gloves | Highest-risk moment is leaving the cab |
Weather
The crews that stay warm on winter sites layer deliberately: a wicking base layer (never cotton against skin — it holds sweat and chills), a fleece or softshell mid-layer, and a certified hi-vis outer. The mistake is a thick non-hi-vis coat zipped over the vest — cover the fluoro and the certification is covered with it. If the outer layer is the warm layer, the outer layer must be the hi-vis layer.
Wet kit is a compliance problem too: a soaked jacket that's stopped beading needs reproofing, and faded hi-vis stops being hi-vis.
Buying for a crew
Questions
The near-universal induction baseline is hi-vis upper body (Class 2 minimum), S3 safety boots and a hard hat, with gloves and eye protection required task-by-task. Individual principal contractors commonly go further — Class 3 hi-vis, ankle support, mandatory gloves — so the site induction pack is the document that decides.
No — Class 2 is the common site default. Class 3 becomes the requirement around live traffic, plant movements and highways interfaces, and for anyone working in poor light. Many firms simply issue Class 3 jackets for winter since they double as the warm layer.
For excavation and concrete work, S5 safety wellingtons — waterproof by construction, with midsole and cleated sole. For general site work between pours, S3 leather boots. Many groundworkers run both and switch by task.
Not while relying on the hi-vis — covering the fluorescent material removes the certified visible area. If the coat is the outer layer, the coat must be the certified hi-vis garment; layer warmth underneath it instead.
Send the headcount and the roles — we'll come back with a kit list, embroidery options and trade-account pricing.