OSHA Standards

Need a quick refresher? Here’s what OSHA says about PPE requirements to help you choose the right safety shoes.

1910.132 GENERAL OSHA REQUIREMENTS

• Hazard assessment and equipment

  • The employer shall 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 shall:
    • 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. Note: Non-mandatory Appendix B contains an example of procedures that would comply with the requirement for a hazard assessment.
  • The employer shall 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(s) of the hazard assessment; and, which identifies the document as a certification of hazard assessment.
• Defective and damaged equipment. Defective or damaged personal protective equipment shall not be used.

• Training

  • The employer shall provide training to each employee who is required by this section to use PPE. Each such employee shall be trained to know at least the following:
    • When PPE is necessary;
    • What PPE is necessary;
    • How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE;
    • The limitations of the PPE; and,
    • The proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal of the PPE.
  • Each affected employee shall demonstrate an understanding of the training specified in paragraph (f)(1) of this section, and the ability to use PPE properly, before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE.
  • When the employer has reason to believe that any affected employee who has already been trained does not have the understanding and skill required by paragraph (f)(2) of this section, the employer shall retrain each such employee. Circumstances where retraining is required include, but are not limited to, situations where:
    • Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete; or
    • Changes in the types of PPE to be used render previous training obsolete; or
    • Inadequacies in an affected employee’s knowledge or use of assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill.
  • The employer shall verify that each affected employee has received and understood the required training through a written certification that contains the name of each employee trained, the date(s) of training, and that identifies the subject of the certification.

1910.136 FOOT PROTECTION

• General requirements.

  • The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, and where such employee’s feet are exposed to electrical hazards.

• Criteria for protective footwear.

  • Protective footwear purchased after July 5, 1994 shall comply with ANSI & ASTM Z41-1991, “American National Standard for Personal Protection-Protective Footwear,” which is incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 1910.6, or shall be demonstrated by the employer to be equally effective.
  • Protective footwear purchased before July 5, 1994 shall comply with the ANSI & ASTM standard “USA Standard for Men’s Safety-Toe Footwear,” Z41.1-1967, which is incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 1910.6, or shall be demonstrated by the employer to be equally effective.