New Standard Requires Employers to Pay for Personal Protective Equipment-January 2008

OCCUSAFE UPDATE
Monthly Round Up of Important Ideas and Standards in
Industrial Hygiene and Safety

January 20o8

IN THIS ISSUE: New Standard Requires Employers to Pay for Personal Protective Equipment

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new standard that will require employers to pay the full cost for personal protective equipment used by employees. The standard, which takes effect in May 2008, aims to ensure greater compliance and avoid thousands of workplace injuries.

“OSHA’s new rule clears up any question about who is obligated to cover the cost of protecting employees ,” explains Gary R. Ticker, CIH, CSP, of OccuSafe, Inc, “Beginning in May, employers are 100 percent responsible.”

For a number of years, most employers have paid for mandatory personal protective equipment such as gloves, safety shoes, and respirators.   At the same time, other employers have required employees to pay all or part of the cost of the safety equipment used on the job. Exemptions to the new rule include ordinary safety-toed footwear, prescription safety eye wear, logging boots, and ordinary clothing and weather-related gear.   Employees continue to be responsible for the cost of these items.

For more information on this topic and to discuss your company’s safety and industrial hygiene needs, call us at (214) 662-6005 or visit www.occusafeinc.com.

OccuSafe Environmental and Safety Services, Inc. provides skills and expertise to recognize, evaluate and control hazards and injuries in the workplace. Our services include industrial hygiene, occupational safety and health, noise testing, ergonomics and training.  OccuSafe serves a wide range of industries.

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