If you are an employer in the industrial or manufacturing industry, then OSHA requires you to protect your workers from hazardous conditions in the workplace. If you are unable to control a hazardous environment, then you should protect your workers with personal protective equipment (PPE).

Some examples of hazards that PPE can protect workers from include:

  • Chemical splashing
  • Toxic inhalation
  • Burns & skin/organ deterioration
  • Long-term & short-term exposure to harmful substances

Employer Responsibilities

As an employer, you are responsible for the care of your employees in hazardous industrial or manufacturing conditions where safety is an ongoing issue. Therefore, you should do the following:

  • Perform a hazard assessment of the work environment to identify and minimize workplace hazards.
  • Identify and provide appropriate PPE for all workers.
  • Train the entire staff on how to use PPE properly.
  • Maintain PPE to ensure that it is always in proper condition. Replace PPE when necessary.
  • Implement, review, and update specified programs and regulations regarding the use of PPE.

In addition, OSHA requires you to pay for PPE if you require your employees to wear prescribed standard clothing while working.

Employee Responsibilities

Employees have a responsibility to adhere to OSHA regulation and your company’s rules when it comes to wearing PPE. Therefore, all employees should be subject to the following:

  • Properly wear PPE according to manufacturer specifications
  • Attend a comprehensive training session on how to properly choose and use PPE
  • Clean and maintain PPE during or immediately after each use
  • Let supervisors know when they need to have the PPE repaired or replaced

Example of PPE That Employees Must Wear on the Job Site

The following are some examples of PPE that employees must wear on the job site.

  • Chemical splash coveralls
  • Foot protection
  • Non-prescription eye protection
  • Full face respirators
  • Goggles and face shields
  • Hearing protection

List of OSHA Standards

Below is a list of OSHA standards highlights that you can quickly reference.

1910.132(a)

Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary.

1910.132(b)

Where employees provide their own protective equipment, the employer shall be responsible for assuring its adequacy, including proper maintenance, and sanitation of such equipment.

1910.132(c)

All personal protective equipment shall be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed.

1910.132(d)

Hazard assessment and equipment selection.

1910.132(d)(1)

The employer shall assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). If such risks are present, or likely to be present, the employer shall:

  • Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment
  • Communicate selection decisions to each affected employee; and,
  • Select PPE that properly fits each affected employee.

1910.132(d)(2)

The employer shall verify that the required workplace hazard assessment has been performed through the following:

  • A written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated
  • The person certifying that the evaluation has been performed
  • The date(s) of the hazard assessment
  • The document that certifies the hazard assessment

1910.132(e)

Defective or damaged personal protective equipment shall not be used.

1910.132(f)(1)

The employer shall provide training to each employee who is required by this section to use PPE. Each such employee shall be trained to know at least the following:

  • When PPE is necessary
  • What PPE is necessary
  • How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE
  • The limitations of the PPE
  • The proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the PPE.

1910.132(f)(2)

Each affected employee shall demonstrate an understanding of the training specified in the previous paragraph, and the ability to use PPE properly, before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE.

1910.132(f)(3)

When the employer has reason to believe that any affected employee who has already been trained does not have the understanding and skill required by OSHA, the employer shall retrain each such employee. Circumstances where retraining is required include, but are not limited to:

  • Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete; or
  • Changes in the types of PPE to be used render previous training obsolete; or
  • Inadequacies in an affected employee's knowledge or use of assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill.

1910.132(h)

Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), used to comply with this part, shall be provided by the employer at no cost to employees.

1910.132(h)(2)

The employer is not required to pay for non-specialty safety-toe protective footwear (including steel-toe shoes or steel-toe boots) and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear, provided that the employer permits such items to be worn off the job-site.

1910.132(h)(3)

When the employer provides metatarsal guards and allows the employee, at his or her request, to use shoes or boots with built-in metatarsal protection, the employer is not required to reimburse the employee for the shoes or boots.

The employer is not required to pay for:

  • The logging boots required by 29 CFR 1910.266(d)(1)(v)
  • Everyday clothing, such as long-sleeve shirts, long pants, street shoes, and normal work boots; or
  • Ordinary clothing, skin creams, or other items, used solely for protection from weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses, and sunscreen.

1910.132(h)(5)

The employer must pay for replacement PPE, except when the employee has lost or intentionally damaged the PPE.

1910.132(h)(6)

Where an employee provides adequate protective equipment he or she owns, the employer may allow the employee to use it and is not required to reimburse the employee for that equipment.

Protective Clothing from International Enviroguard

If you are looking for protective clothing for your employees, then contact International Enviroguard. We offer a wide range of protective clothing for workers in all hazardous and environments and industries.

To find out more about our products or to place an order, call us today at (800) 345-5972. You can also send a message on our contact page.