OSHA recently issued a new enforcement directive, Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry (CPL 02-01-050). The directive gives OSHA compliance officers guidance on determining whether employers are in violation of general industry personal protective equipment (PPE) standards.
In particular, the directive specifies what PPE employers must provide at no cost, such as goggles, non-prescriptive eye protection, rubber sleeves, respirators and personal fall protection. The directive also indicates that employers must provide PPE constructed in accordance with the most recent national consensus standards.