OSHA Issues Enforcement Guidance on Personal Protective Equipment to Protect General Industry Workers’ Safety, Health

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration 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 replaces inspection guidelines from 1995 and clarifies what type of PPE employers must provide at no cost to workers and when employers are required and not required to pay for PPE. It 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.