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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).
Scope
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.
Regulatory citations
- 29 CFR 1910.132 — General requirements for PPE. Note: There are additional requirements for various types of specific PPE, such as respiratory, hearing, face, head, and foot protection.
Key definitions
- Hazard assessment: The required step employers must take to determine what exposures warrant PPE.
Summary of requirements
Employers must:
- Assess the workplace to determine what hazards are present that require PPE.
- Document and certify the PPE assessment.
- Provide appropriate and approved PPE based on the workplace hazards. In most cases, the PPE must be provided at no cost to the employee.
- Instruct employees in proper PPE usage.
- Ensure employees wear proper PPE.
- Establish inspection and maintenance procedures for PPE.