PPE supply for businesses and mines
In short
A PPE supply request should identify the items your site needs, their specifications, sizes and quantities, and where they must be delivered. This guide helps businesses and mines describe an order. Use the requirements from your site's assessment; the builder does not select protective equipment for the work.
List the items, then the size breakdown
Buyers usually describe the order item by item, with quantities and a size breakdown. A request for a crew's PPE can cover several items without treating the headcount as the quantity for every product.
- Use the site's item names and specifications. Say whether quantities mean pairs, individual items, packs or another order unit.
- Give the sizes and quantity in each size for each item. If the breakdown will follow, say when you can provide it.
- Mention required product documentation and any samples or fitting arrangements you want to discuss before ordering.
- This guide is for business and mine supply orders. It is not a retail shopping guide, an employment request or a PPE training course.
Fit and specification belong in the order
The South African guideline for PPE for women in mining defines suitable equipment in terms of size and fit, workplace hazards, the work and users' body dimensions. It calls for manufacturer or supplier consultation before procurement and attention to quality and quantities. Its scope is PPE for women at mines.[2]
Details that make an order clearer
Buyers usually use a written item list and the site's requirements to describe the order. The examples below show how to make the details explicit; they do not select protection for a hazard.[2]
| Detail | What to include | Example wording |
|---|---|---|
| Item and specification | The requested item and site specification or documentation required. | Safety boots to our attached site specification; please provide the product documentation. |
| Sizes and quantities | Quantity by size, including whether it means pairs or individual items. | 20 pairs: size 7, 8 pairs; size 8, 12 pairs. |
| Fit requirements | Any fitting or sample arrangements the site wants to discuss. | Please discuss size availability and samples with our safety team before ordering. |
One-off delivery or regular orders?
Common practice is to agree the delivery arrangements as part of the order. Give the delivery town, required date, receiving contact's role and any site access instructions.
- For a one-off order, state the quantities for that delivery and whether part deliveries are acceptable.
- For regular supply, describe the expected frequency and how each order's items and quantities will be confirmed. Do not assume that every delivery will be identical.
- If branding or embroidery is required, describe the placement and artwork you can provide. Confirm the proposed product with the site before ordering.
- Ask the supplier to confirm sizes, quantities, product details and delivery arrangements before you place the order.
Build your PPE supply request
List the items, sizes and delivery requirements you know. This tool writes a request you can send to a supplier, or post on Headcore. You can change every word.
Separate quantities by item and size. Say whether this is one delivery or regular ordering, and include the site's specifications and product documentation you need.
Why each detail helps
- The items: What you need, and any standard the items must meet.
- Quantities and sizes: How many of each, and sizes if you know them.
- Branding: Whether items need your company logo.
- Delivery: Where to, by when, and once or on a regular basis.
Need PPE for a new crew.
We need PPE supplied to our mine. Items required: 20 pairs of safety boots. Site specifications or protection requirements: Match our attached site specification; provide product documentation. Sizes and quantities: Size 7: 8 pairs; size 8: 12 pairs. Delivery requirements: Arrange delivery through the stores office. This is a one-off order. The delivery site is in Witbank. We would like delivery within the next two weeks.
Start from the site's risk assessment
For workplaces governed by the General Safety Regulations, the March 2025 amendment to regulation 2(1) requires employers and machinery users to evaluate workplace risks and take steps to make conditions safe. An item list is not a substitute for that assessment.[1]
- The mining guideline cited here requires a mandatory code of practice for the selection and provision of PPE for women at mines. It links selection to hazards, fit and the nature of the work. Ask the site's responsible person for the applicable requirements before ordering.[2]
How Headcore helps with this order
Keep your usual supplier in the mix. Headcore helps you find additional companies that can supply this.
- 01
Describe what you need
Start in your own words: the items, how many and where to. You review the request before anything is posted.
- 02
Reach companies that supply it
Companies that supply PPE and serve your area see the request. Each decides for itself whether to respond.
- 03
Choose who to speak with
Compare how they would approach it, reveal your company only to the ones you choose, and deal with them directly.
Questions buyers ask
Who sees my request?
Companies that do this specific work, within reach of your site. They see the job. Whether they also see your company name is your choice: you can stay anonymous until you pick who to talk to.
What if nobody responds?
Your request reaches companies that do this work within minutes. Each decides for itself whether to respond, so we cannot promise responses. If the work cannot wait, contact your usual suppliers as well.
What does it cost to post a request?
Posting a request is free. A supplier pays one token when it decides your request is worth answering. What you agree about the work is between you and the supplier.
Can I ask for regular deliveries?
Yes. Say what you need each time, how often and where to. Suppliers respond to the request as you describe it, and you agree the terms with the one you choose.
Does Headcore sell PPE?
No. Headcore is a matching system: it puts your request in front of companies that do this work, and you deal with the supplier directly. Keep your usual suppliers; use Headcore when they cannot help, or when the job is outside what they do.
What if I do not know the required PPE specification?
List what you know and ask the person responsible for the site's safety requirements to confirm the specification. Say which details are still to follow. The builder records your request; it does not assess hazards or choose protection.
Start with what you know.
Answer a few questions and get a request ready to send, to your own repairer or on Headcore.
Build your requestSources
- Department of Employment and Labour, General Safety Regulations amendment, regulation 2(1), Government Gazette 52226, 6 March 2025.
- Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Guideline for a mandatory code of practice for the selection and provision of PPE for women in the South African mining industry (GN 3740), 28 July 2023; effective 30 September 2023.
Last checked: October 6, 2026