Employer-paid Personal Protective Equipment, PPE
Effective February 13, 2008, U.S. Department of Labor OSHA adopted the final rule 29 CFR 1910.132 – Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment. Employers must have implemented the PPE payment requirements no later than May 15, 2008. This standard is a direct result of UFCW’s law suit in 2007 which compelled OSHA to finish this standard begun in 1999.
All PPE must be provided FREE to the employee. (There are a few exceptions: safety-toe sh oes and boots, prescription eyewear and ordinary work clothes.)
Examples of equipment that must be provided:
- Rubber boots with steel toes
- Goggles
- Face shields
- Hard hats
- Hearing protection(ear plugs and muffs)
- Mesh aprons and sleeves
- Mesh cut-proof gloves
- Gloves (if they give protection from cuts or punctures but not for keeping clean or dry)
- Arm guards
- Fall protection
Replacement PPE. Except if the PPE is intentionally damaged or lost, replacement for worn or damaged PPE is covered by the standard and is FREE OF CHARGE to the employee. Ear plugs must be replaced as necessary, when they are dirty, or worn, whether or not you turn in a pair. This is because when they wear out they do not protect your hearing.
If you have questions about the new standard, please call your Local Union or the International’s Occupational Safety and Health Office.
Click Here to read an example of how employers used to unfairly charge workers for required personal equipment.
 |
 |
