OSHA Issues Final Rule for PPE Standard

In an effort to capitalize on the technological advancements made in personal protective equipment or (PPE), OSHA has revised its PPE standards in its sections for general industry, shipyards, long-shoring, and marine terminals.  The revision, which will take effect on October 9, 2009, is just a continuation of OSHA’s commitment to update or remove outdated references in its standards.

As is with any final rule, OSHA opened up the proposed rule for comments and testimony from the industry. PPE is a critical aspect of business for a wide variety of industries.  And this was apparent by the number of comments received and the representatives that attended the hearing.   In reading the notes from the final rule, it was clear that although employers want to keep their employees safe.  They also felt the need to retain flexibility within the PPE standards.

So, although there are some changes in the new rule, employers will not find themselves running into a hardship in order to become compliant.  Below are a few highlights from the new rule.

• Filter lens in protective eyewear must now meet one of the radiant energy transmission tests described in the ANSI standards.
• Standard under previous editions will be listed in the non-mandatory appendices if they meet the overall good design standard.
• References that would allow employers to continue to use PPE purchased before a particular date have been deleted.
• OSHA felt that many of the standards under previous editions still provided workers with adequate protection. So, it was decided to retain references to editions created after 1986.
• Employers still have the flexibility to continue to use PPE that is not manufactured according to the guidelines of one of the national consensus standards. As long as, they can prove that the PPE being used offer the same or greater protection.
• Other changes revolved around removing references to editions that are no longer available for purchase.

If you are considering new PPE for yourself or your workers, then you should ensure that the equipment is designed to meet the requirements of the ANSI standard, editions 2003 or newer.  This is the best way to ease the compliance burden, when OSHA decides to revise the PPE standard again.  To ensure compliance, be sure to review OSHA’s final rule on the personal protective equipment standard in its entirety and the ANSI standards.