OSHA issues final rule updating PPE standards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced in the Sept. 9 Federal Register a final rule revising the personal protective equipment (PPE) sections of its general industry, shipyard employment, longshoring and marine terminals standards regarding requirements for eye- and face-protective devices, as well as head and foot protection.
OSHA is updating the references in its regulations to reflect more recent editions of the applicable national consensus standards that incorporate technological advances. OSHA requires that PPE be safely designed and constructed for the tasks performed.
"Workers exposed to occupational hazards requiring head, foot, or eye and face protection now will be provided protection based on a standard that reflects state-of-the-art technology and materials," says OSHA's acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Jordan Barab. "This final rule is another step in OSHA's efforts to update or remove references to outdated national consensus and industry standards."
The PPE standards' amendments include a requirement that filter lenses and plates in eye-protective equipment pass a test for transmission of radiant energy such as light or infrared.
The final rule will take effect Oct. 9. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. For technical inquiries, contact Ted Twardowski, OSHA's directorate of standards and guidance, at (202) 693-2070.
9/10/2009
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