Incident Report

Subject:                 OSHA Issues Compliance Directive on Personal Protective Equipment

Date of Email report:   Tue 22/02/2011

Report Detail:

This instruction, Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry, establishes OSHA’s general enforcement and guidance policy for its standards addressing personal protective equipment (PPE). It instructs OSHA enforcement personnel on both the agency’s interpretations of those standards and the procedures for enforcing them. It provides enforcement guidance to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs); national, regional, and area offices; and state programs and federal agencies concerning OSHA’s policies and procedures for implementing inspection programs to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities, and eliminate workplace hazards in general industry employment through the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

OSHA revised the general industry standards for personal protective equipment, 29 CFR 1910, Subpart I, 59 Fed. Reg. 1334 (April 6, 1994) ; corrected 59 Fed. Reg. 33910 (July 1, 1994). Provisions were added to 29 CFR 1910.132 to require employers to select appropriate PPE based on the hazards present or likely to be present in the workplace; to prohibit the use of defective or damaged PPE; and to require that employees be trained so that each affected employee can properly use the assigned PPE.

On November 15, 2007, OSHA issued a final rule for “Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment” that applies identical PPE payment requirements to workplaces in all industries, including those covered by the general industry standards. (29 CFR 1910). On September 9, 2009 OSHA issued a final rule to revise the personal protective equipment (PPE) standards based on National Consensus standards; including sections of its general industry, shipyard employment, longshoring, and marine terminals standards regarding requirements for eye- and face-protective devices, head protection, and foot protection. 74 Fed. Reg. 46350-46361.

This instruction provides information and enforcement guidance to support OSHA’s inspection efforts in general industry employment. OSHA is updating the references in its regulations to recognize more recent editions of the applicable national consensus standards, and is deleting editions of the national consensus standards that PPE must meet if purchased before a specified date. In addition, OSHA is amending its provision that requires safety shoes to comply with a specific American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard.

This instruction has been revised and updated to include the following significant changes:

• Clarifies what type of PPE employers must provide at no cost, when employers must pay for PPE, or for replacement PPE, and when employers are not required to pay for PPE.
• Clarifies the PPE payment requirements for PPE worn off the jobsite, for PPE that must remain at the jobsite, and for employee-owned PPE.Sets forth enforcement policies that reflect court and review commission decisions concerning PPE.
• Provides guidance that allows employers to use PPE constructed in accordance with the most recent national consensus standards.

Additional Documentation: