Personal protective equipment is extremely important on the job site. The correct equipment keeps your employees safe and it keeps OSHA out of your hair. But what is the correct equipment, and when should it be used? OSHA answers that with standard 1910.132. This standard explains what is, and is not, required to be worn, where it must be worn, and whether you or your employees are required to maintain it. It also discusses what training is required, and how often you must have your company audited.

Their definitions, however, leave quite a bit of gray area. For instance, it states in 1910.132(c), “all personal protective equipment shall be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed.” Now, this is clearly important for a safe workplace, but how do you know if a piece of equipment is of “safe design and construction?” Well, you can look into what others in your field are using and hope they are using adequate protective gear, you can contact OSHA and hope to get clarification, or you can contact us and we will talk you through your issues.

You must also remember to get your third party safety audits completed, as stated in 1910.132(d)(2). These safety audits are important, as they not only satisfy this requirement, they also allow you to confirm that your workers are safe.

With these questions fresh in your head, take a look over your workplace and make sure everything is up to code. Then, take a look and see when your last third party audit was. If this information is all up to date and you have no questions of code, congratulate yourself. If not, don’t fret, just take a look at our services, then give us a call or shoot us an email and we can help ensure you are OSHA compliant and providing a safe work environment.