Do your employees need personal protective equipment (PPE) such as earplugs and goggles for their work? The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published a final rule clarifying substantial penalties when employers fail to provide PPE or train for its use.
The rule, published on December 12, clarifies that penalties apply to each employee. For example, if an employer fails to provide required safety training to a group of 11 employees, 11 penalties apply, not just one. If the same employer fails to provide required PPE, 11 more penalties would apply.
Although 26 states have state programs for occupational safety and health, they operate under a charter requiring standards that are “at least as effective as” comparable federal standards. As a result, federal OSHA rules affect all states.
