OSHA publishes Final Rule on Costs of Personal Protective Equipment
On November 15, 2007, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule on employer-paid personal protective equipment (PPE). The provisions in OSHA standards that require PPE generally state that the employer is to provide such PPE to employees, but do not specify that the employer is to pay for the PPE. OSHA has clarified, with this rulemaking, an employer’s requirement to pay for the PPE provided, with few exceptions for specific items. The rule contains a few exceptions for ordinary safety-toed footwear, ordinary prescription safety eyewear, logging boots, and ordinary clothing and weather-related gear. The rule does not require employers to provide PPE where none has been required before.
For more information, visit:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=20094