Who Pays for PPE?

OSHA published the final rule of employer-paid PPE in November 2007. Under the rule, all PPE, with a few exceptions, must be provided at no cost to the employee. Since the time of the ruling, OSHA has clarified some of the exceptions:

• Uniforms, caps, or other clothing worn solely to identify a person as an employee are not considered to be PPE.
• Items worn to keep employees clean for purposes other than safety or health are not considered PPE.
• Items worn for product or consumer safety or patient safety and health rather than employee safety and health are not considered PPE.
• While some specialized hand tools have protective characteristics, these tools are not considered PPE.
• Dust masks and respirators that you allow employees to use under the voluntary use provisions of the Sec. 1910.134 respiratory protection standard are not required to comply with the OSHA standards.
• Employers are not required to pay for safety-toe protective footwear and nonspecialty prescription safety glasses when they are permitted to be worn off the jobsite.
• Everyday work clothing and ordinary clothing items used solely for protection from the weather are not considered PPE.

For complete details about this ruling and its exceptions, visit osha.gov.

[Source: Occupational Safety And Health Administration]