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Personal protective equipment (PPE) is clothing or equipment worn by workers to minimize exposure to hazards in the workplace. PPE includes hard hats, gloves, high visibility vests, leg chaps, respiratory protection, safety boots, hearing protection, and other similar items. For PPE to be effective, it must be inspected, fit properly, be maintained in a clean and reliable state, and most importantly, it must be worn. Employees must be trained on potential exposures to hazards, proper use and fit of PPE, and proper maintenance and storage procedures. OSHA requires many categories of PPE meet or be equivalent to standards developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
OSHA’s PPE requirements generally apply to all employers who have employees exposed to the hazard necessitating the need for the protection. Individual requirements, such as for hearing protection, vary depending on exposure.
Employers must: