Overview
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires the employer to assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer must:
- Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment;
- Communicate selection decisions to each affected employee; and
- Select PPE that properly fits each affected employee.
The employer must verify that the required workplace hazard assessment has been performed through a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated; the person certifying that the evaluation has been performed; the date of the hazard assessment; and the document as a certification of hazard assessment. There is a Non-mandatory Compliance Guidelines for Hazard Assessment and Personal Protective Equipment Selection appendix that contains an example of procedures that would comply with the requirement for a hazard assessment.