by Brianna Crandall — March 9, 2011—The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued the Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry, a directive that provides enforcement personnel with instructions for determining whether employers have complied with OSHA personal protective equipment (PPE) standards. The directive was effective February 10.
OSHA issued a final rule on Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment in November 2007. The rule required employers in such industries as construction and general industry to provide most types of required PPE at no cost to the worker. The agency also issued a final rule in September 2009 updating its PPE standards so that they are more consistent with current consensus standards.
This directive replaces Inspection Guidelines for 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, the revised Personal Protective Equipment Standards for General Industry issued in June 1995. Changes in this directive include clarifying what type of PPE employers must provide at no cost to workers and when employers are required and not required to pay for PPE. The directive also provides guidance that allows employers to use PPE that complies with current consensus standards and updates PPE enforcement policies based on court and review commission decisions.
Visit OSHA’s Safety and Health Topics page on Personal Protective Equipment for more information.
