In September 2009 the United States Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule
to revise the personal protective equipment (PPE) sections of the general industry, shipyard employment,
marine terminals, and longshoring standards regarding
head protection, foot protection, and eye and face protection devices. These OSHA standards contain design
requirements for specific PPE and require that the PPE
comply with national consensus standards incorporated
by reference into the new OSHA standards, unless the
employer can demonstrate that the equipment is as effective as equipment that complies with the consensus standard.
The national consensus standards incorporated into the
general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals,
and longshoring PPE standards are listed below.
Employers may use eye and face protection, head protection, and foot protection that comply with the following
national consensus standards:
Eye and Face
Protection
ANSI Z87.1 – 2003,
“American National
Standard for Practice
for Occupational and
Educational Eye and
Face Protection,” or
ANSI Z87.1 – 1989
(R-1989), “American
National Standard for
Practice for
Occupational and
Educational Eye and
Face Protection,” or
ANSI Z87.1 – 1989, “American National Standard for
Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face
Protection.”
Foot Protection
ASTM F-2412-2005, “Standard Test Methods for Foot
Protection”, and ASTM F-2413-2005, “Standard
Specification for Performance Requirements for
Protective Footwear”, or
ANSI Z41 – 1999, “American National Standard for
Personal Protection - Foot Protection,” or
ANSI Z41 – 1991, “American National Standard for
Personal Protection - Foot Protection.”
The prior versions of the OSHA standards incorporated
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards
that were over 10 years old, in some instances over 20
years old, and in one case the incorporated standard had
been withdrawn. In all cases, updated ANSI or American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards had
been adopted, but not incorporated by OSHA. When
consensus standards are revised and updated by the stan-
dards organizations PPE manufacturers’ typically design
PPE to meet the requirements of the latest standards, or
have existing PPE re-evaluated and tested to assure con-
formance to the latest standards and update markings and
documentation accordingly. As a result, employees and
employers experienced difficulties in obtaining PPE man-
ufactured in accordance with the national consensus stan-
dards incorporated earlier into OSHA PPE standards.
According to OSHA, incorporating the current national
consensus standards will ease the burden on employers,
making it easier to find PPE that complies with the
OSHA standards.
The earlier version of the foot protection standards incorporated ANSI Z41 – 1991, “American National Standard
for Personal Protection - Foot Protection,” and ANSI Z41
– 1967, “USA Standard for Men’s Safety-Toe Footwear,”
ANSI withdrew the Z41 footwear standard on March 1,
2005.
The earlier version of the eye and face protection stan-
dards incorporated the 1989 and 1968 versions of ANSI
Z87.1, “American National Standard for Practice for
Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection.”
In addition to the standards addressed above, OSHA
amended the general industry ventilation standard 29
CFR 1910.94 to require footwear that complies with the
general industry footwear standard 29 CFR
1910.136(b)( 1), and the general requirements under the
welding, cutting and brazing standard (29 CFR 1910.252)
to require that filter lenses meet the energy and transmis-
sion requirements of ANSI Z87.1 – 2003, “American
National Standard for Practice for Occupational and
Educational Eye and Face Protection,” which was incor-
porated in 29 CFR 1910.133 – Eye and Pace Protection.
Head Protection
ANSI Z89.1 – 2003, “American National Standard for
Industrial Head Protection,” or
The final PPE rules continue to allow employers the
option of using PPE that is not constructed in accordance
with one of the listed consensus standards as long as the
employer can demonstrate that the PPE offers the same
protection as PPE manufactured in accordance with one
of the incorporated consensus standards.
To ease the financial burden on employers, OSHA will
still allow the use of PPE that conforms to earlier versions of national consensus standards incorporated into
earlier OSHA PPE standards. During the rulemaking
process OSHA heard from several witnesses that PPE
designed under a previous standard remains safe to use
even though it may not totally conform to the most current standard. OSHA agreed with this testimony and in
the final rule decided to keep reference to the national
consensus standards incorporated into prior versions of
the standards. This will allow employers to meet the
design requirements of the PPE standards by choosing
PPE constructed in accordance with any of three national
consensus standards – the two most recent national consensus standards and the national consensus standard
incorporated in the earlier version of the OSHA standard
for eye and face protection, head protection and foot protection. In allowing the use of PPE conforming to multiple versions of national consensus standards employers
are not forced to replace all PPE at once, but can phase in
new PPE, if necessary, in a more cost effective manner.
ANSI Z89.1 – 1997,
“American National
Standard for Industrial
Head Protection,” or
ANSI Z89.1 – 1986,
“American National
Standard for Industrial
Head Protection.”
The earlier version of
the head protection
standards incorporated
the 1986 and 1969
versions of ANSI
Z89.1, “American
National Standard for
Industrial Head
Protection.”
In the future, OSHA plans on updating the national con-
sensus standards referenced in the PPE standards as new
editions become available. Appropriate rulemaking,
including direct-final rulemaking will be used to remove
outdated editions and incorporate new editions into the
regulatory text. Currently ANSI Z87.1, “American
National Standard for Practice for Occupational and
Educational Eye and Face Protection,” and ANSI Z89.1,
“American National Standard for Industrial Head
Protection,” are both under revision.
For additional information, consult the OSHA website at
www.osha.gov.
Circle 139 on Card
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http://www.rimbach.com/scripts/Article/IHN/Number.idc? Number=167
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https://www.osha.gov/Publications/quickcard/flooding-
sandbags.html
