OSHA Finally Comes Through with Final PPE Rule

After much delay, going back as far as 1999, in the process of promulgating a personal protective equipment (PPE) standard, including the filing of a suit this year by the AFL-CIO and the UFCW to force OSHA to issue a rule (previous discussions here and here), final rules on PPE have finally arrived.

HR.BLR.com provides this summary of this development:

Under the rule, all PPE that is required under OSHA standards, with a few exceptions, must be provided at no cost to the employee.

The rule was published in the Federal Register on November 15, 2007.

The final rule contains a few exceptions for ordinary safety-toed footwear, ordinary prescription safety eyewear, logging boots, ordinary clothing, and weather-related gear.

The final rule also clarifies OSHA's requirements regarding payment for employee-owned PPE and replacement PPE. While these clarifications have added several paragraphs to the regulatory text, the final rule provides employees no less protection than they would have received under the 1999 proposed standard, according to OSHA.

Here is the text of the final rule.

Now on to workplace ergonomic standards!

PS