In Iowa, a serious PPE General Requirements violation carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation in 2026, rising to $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. PPE General Requirements is enforced for private construction employers by Iowa OSHA (IOSH), under 481—210.4(88), with the beryllium limits stated in 481—211.2(88) rather than 29 CFR 1910.132.
29 CFR 1910.132 · Iowa
PPE General Requirements Requirements in Iowa
PPE General Requirements in Iowa: 2026 penalties, who enforces 481—210.4(88), with the beryllium limits stated in 481—211.2(88), the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
IowaGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Iowa OSHA (IOSH)
On construction work, 29 CFR 1926.95 and 1926.28(a) (Part 1926 Subpart E) govern instead of 29 CFR 1910.132. In Iowa, Iowa OSHA (IOSH) enforces the state's own rule on this subject, 481—210.4(88), with the beryllium limits stated in 481—211.2(88). The federal maximum for a serious violation is $16,550.
$16,550
federal maximum for a serious violation
$165,514
federal maximum for a willful or repeat violation
5.2
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Iowa, 2024 (BLS)
What Iowa's own rule says
“The eight-hour time-weighted average permissible exposure limit for beryllium is 0.2 micrograms per cubic liter, and the short-term exposure limit for beryllium is 2.0 micrograms per cubic meter over a 15-minute sampling period.”
PPE selection in Iowa runs on the adopted federal standard, but Iowa is unusual in writing an exposure limit directly into its own construction chapter rather than leaving it inside the incorporated federal text. The figures track 29 CFR 1910.1024, which sets 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter as an eight-hour TWA and 2.0 micrograms per cubic meter over fifteen minutes. The units printed in the Iowa rule differ for the TWA. The rule took effect January 15, 2025, and it is the number a contractor doing abrasive blasting or welding on beryllium-bearing alloys will be measured against when selecting respiratory protection and protective clothing.
481—210.4(88), with the beryllium limits stated in 481—211.2(88)The duty itself differs from the federal text.
Read in Iowa OSHA (IOSH)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Contact incidents and work deaths in Iowa, 2024
Iowa recorded 83 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 91 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 17 of them (20%). Construction accounted for 15.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Iowa, 2024
How Iowa Enforces PPE General Requirements
Iowa runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Iowa OSHA (IOSH), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Iowa's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 481—210.4(88), with the beryllium limits stated in 481—211.2(88), which differs from the federal text (see the state rule above). Iowa OSHA (IOSH) issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.132 in Iowa construction in FY2025. Iowa applies the federal penalty maximums.
29 CFR 1910.132 is a general-industry standard and does not govern construction work: a particular Part 1926 standard covers the same ground and prevails over it. 1910.12(a) applies Part 1926 to every employee engaged in construction work, and 1910.5(c)(1) makes a specific standard prevail over a general one. Construction PPE is 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E, principally 1926.95, whose paragraph (a) is word-for-word identical to 1910.132(a), together with the duty clause at 1926.28(a). For construction work, the provisions to cite are 1926.95 and 1926.28(a), not 1910.132. An Iowa contractor auditing against 29 CFR 1910.132 is auditing against the wrong standard. The citation an officer writes on a construction site will name the 1926 provision, not this one.
HazComFast records the state of every jobsite and shows that the Iowa State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in Iowa
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Iowa, the program is IOSHA Consultation Program (Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing). OSHA describes it as “Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs.” It is separate from OSHA enforcement; the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Iowa Penalty Amounts for PPE General Requirements (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $16,550 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Willful | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Repeat | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Failure to abate | $16,550/day | up to $16,550 per day; total capped at 30x the daily amount (FOM Ch.6) |
Iowa applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Iowa OSHA (IOSH) computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
Key PPE General Requirements Requirements Under the Federal Standard 29 CFR 1910.132
- Conduct hazard assessment for PPE
- Select appropriate PPE for identified hazards
- Train employees on proper PPE use and care
- Provide PPE at no cost to employees
- Document hazard assessment in writing
- Maintain PPE in sanitary and reliable condition
Who enforces it in Iowa: Iowa OSHA (IOSH) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Iowa OSHA (IOSH) can add requirements beyond the federal standard above, so check its own rules as well.
The compliance checklist, the paragraphs OSHA cites nationally and what an inspector checks under 29 CFR 1910.132 are on the 29 CFR 1910.132 page.
What a PPE General Requirements Violation Looks Like
Each item below breaches a specific paragraph of 29 CFR 1910.132. It is a list of requirements, not a ranking. A serious violation carries up to $16,550.
- No workplace hazard assessment, or no written certification of it (1910.132(d)).
- PPE not provided where the hazard assessment shows it is needed (1910.132(d)(1)).
- Employees not trained on PPE use, limitations, and care (1910.132(f)).
- Requiring employees to pay for required PPE (1910.132(h)).
- PPE that does not fit or is not maintained in a sanitary, reliable condition (1910.132(a)/(e)).
Iowa Safety & Enforcement Profile
286
FY2025 construction citations
Iowa OSHA (IOSH)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Iowa, FY2025: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (51), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (24) and Roofing Contractors (20), out of 206 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Iowa, 2024: 12.5 per 100,000 full-time workers, 9th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 5.2).
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) opened from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, federal OSHA and State Plan combined, grouped by the inspected employer's 2022 NAICS industry. Industry names are the Census Bureau's 2022 NAICS titles. data.dol.gov · BLS fatality rates by state, 2024
Free PPE General Requirements Compliance Tools
PPE General Requirements FAQ for Iowa
Which Iowa industries most often face a PPE General Requirements inspection?
PPE General Requirements inspections reach general-industry employers in Iowa, not the construction trades. Iowa OSHA (IOSH) inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard. A construction employer should not audit against 29 CFR 1910.132: the standard that governs the same work on a jobsite is 29 CFR 1926.95 and 1926.28(a) (Part 1926 Subpart E).
How often is PPE General Requirements cited in Iowa?
29 CFR 1910.132 is enforced against general-industry employers in Iowa, so the construction citation totals published for Iowa (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23) do not measure it. 1910.12(a) applies Part 1926 to every employee engaged in construction work, and 1910.5(c)(1) makes a specific standard prevail over a general one. Construction PPE is 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E, principally 1926.95, whose paragraph (a) is word-for-word identical to 1910.132(a), together with the duty clause at 1926.28(a). For construction work, the provisions to cite are 1926.95 and 1926.28(a), not 1910.132. A construction employer should not audit against 29 CFR 1910.132: the standard that governs the same work on a jobsite is 29 CFR 1926.95 and 1926.28(a) (Part 1926 Subpart E).
Does Iowa OSHA require a written PPE hazard assessment?
Yes. 29 CFR 1910.132(d) requires the employer to assess the workplace for hazards that call for PPE and to verify that assessment in writing. In Iowa, Iowa OSHA, the state's own program, can cite a failure to perform or document the assessment, separately from any citation for missing equipment.
Who pays for required PPE in Iowa?
The employer. Under the employer-payment rule, required PPE must be provided at no cost to the worker with narrow exceptions such as non-specialty safety-toe footwear and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear that the employer lets employees wear off the job site. Iowa OSHA enforces this.
Can I get free OSHA help in Iowa without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Iowa is IOSHA Consultation Program (Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing). OSHA describes it this way: "Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs." Consultations are separate from OSHA enforcement, and the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
PPE General Requirements Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup.
Related standards
PPE General Requirements in Other States
16 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1910.132 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
Alaska29 CFR 1910.132 as adopted by 8 AAC 61.1010(b), with the substitutions at (e)ArizonaA.A.C. R20-5-602, with the term substitutions at R20-5-606California8 CCR §1514 (construction) and §3380 (general industry)own maxHawaiiHAR §12-60-2(b)(1) and §12-110-2(b)(1)Indiana610 IAC 9-2-8, incorporating 29 CFR 1903.7 to 1903.22 as in effect January 1, 2006own maxMaryland29 CFR 1910.132 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32 Heat Stress Standardsown maxMichiganMIOSHA Construction Safety Standard Part 6, R 408.40601 to R 408.40636 (payment at R 408.40617a)own maxMinnesotaMinn. R. 5205.0030 (general industry) and Minn. R. 5207.0100 (construction)
Other OSHA Standards in Iowa
Sources & verification
Penalty amounts and plan-type data were checked on 2026-10-05 against eCFR, OSHA.gov, and the Federal Register. This page is informational and not legal advice; consult the enforcing agency or counsel for your specific situation.
Get the Binder in Order Before the Inspector Arrives. Are You Ready?
OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.
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