OSHA

Every day, workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities cause immeasurable pain and suffering to employees and their families. Recent estimates indicate that workplace injuries and illnesses cost our nation's businesses $170 billion per year in wasteful and often preventable expenses. Effective Safety and Health Management Systems (SHMS) have proven to be a decisive factor in reducing the extent and severity of work-related injuries and illnesses. SHMS will result in reduced injury-related costs. These savings, when properly administered, will exceed the cost of a workplace SHMS. OSHA standards cover many electrical hazards in many different industries.

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".

OSHA's general industry electrical safety standards are published in Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1910.302 through 1910.308—Design Safety Standards for Electrical Systems, and 1910.331 through 1910.335—Electrical Safety Related Work Practices Standards.

OSHA's electrical standards are based on the National Fire Protection Association Standards NFPA 70, the National Electric Code, and NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces. OSHA also has electrical safety standards for the construction industry, in 29 CFR 1926, Subpart K.

OSHA has announced a final rule that all PPE, with a few exceptions, will be provided by the employer at no cost to the employee. This new ruling helps clarify the cost responsibility for the requirements found in OSHA 1910.132.

According to OSHA 1910.132(d)(1);
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;

"Employees exposed to safety and health hazards may need to wear personal protective equipment to be protected from injury, illness, and death caused by exposure to those hazards," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "This final rule will clarify who is responsible for paying for PPE, which OSHA anticipates will lead to greater compliance and potential avoidance of thousands of workplace injuries each year."

The final rule contains a few exceptions for ordinary safety-toed footwear, ordinary prescription safety eyewear, and logging boots. The final rule also clarifies OSHA's requirements regarding payment for employee-owned PPE and replacement PPE. While these clarifications have added several paragraphs to the regulatory text, the final rule provides employees no less protection than they would have received under the 1999 proposed standard.

The final ruling has been in effect since February 13, 2008 and must have been implemented by May 15, 2008.

Although OSHA operates a federal occupational safety and health program, 24 states and 2 territories operate their own OSHA-approved programs. In those states, the standards and other procedures governing electrical safety may not be identical to the federal requirements. They must, however, be at least as effective as the federal standards.

Electrical hazards, such as wiring deficiencies, are one of the hazards most frequently cited by OSHA. OSHA's electrical standards include design requirements for electrical systems and safetyrelated work practices.

• Review an OSHA booklet: Controlling Electrical Hazards
• Read the standards: 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S
• OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Electrical - Standards
• Learn more: OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Electrical

Employers must perform an assessment of each operation in their workplace to determine if their employees are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Note that engineering controls and work practices are the preferred methods for protecting employees ? OSHA generally considers PPE to be the least desirable means of controlling employee exposure.

• Read a fact sheet: OSHA Fact Sheet: Personal Protective Equipment [PDF - 287 KB]
• Read the standards: 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I
• OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Personal Protective Equipment – OSHA Standards

Helpful OSHA Links
Small and medium-sized employers can benefit from OSHA's "Small Business Handbook" which contains specific information about SHMS: www.osha.gov/Publications/smallbusiness/small-business.html

OSHA's "Compliance Assistance QuickStart" Web page is an online resource providing SHMS information: www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/index.html

OSHA's "Hazard Awareness Advisor" is an online tool to assist in identifying and correcting safety and health workplace hazards: www.osha.gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/hazexp.html

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