The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the final rule on Clarification of Employers’ Duty to Provide Personal Protective Equipment and Train Each Employee. The rule revises OSHA standards to clarify that, for employers to be in compliance, they must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and hazards training for each employee covered by the standards.

Each employee not protected may be considered a separate violation and penalties assessed accordingly. This revised language is consistent with language in other standards for which per-employee citations have been upheld.

The final rule amendments do not add new compliance obligations. Employers are not required to provide new kinds of PPE or hazards training or use a different approach than what is already required. Additionally, employers are not required to provide PPE or training to employees not already covered by existing requirements.

“This technical correction to the PPE standard brings it in line with other OSHA safety and health standards,” said Thomas M. Stohler, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. “By making this change, those few employers who egregiously violate the OSHA PPE standard can be held fully accountable for violations affecting each employee who is not provided proper PPE. This kind of vigorous enforcement is a vital component of OSHA’s balanced approach to workplace safety and health.”

Safety is vital in the electrical contracting industry, and now, OSHA has drawn a clear line to who is responsible for providing PPE. Contractors in violation may be cited. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.