In Kentucky, a serious PPE General Requirements violation carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation in 2026, rising to $70,000 for a willful or repeat violation. PPE General Requirements is enforced for private construction employers by Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH), under 803 KAR 2:308 (general industry) and 803 KAR 2:404 (construction) rather than 29 CFR 1910.132. Kentucky sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline.
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29 CFR 1910.132 · Kentucky
PPE General Requirements Requirements in Kentucky
PPE General Requirements in Kentucky: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.132, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
On construction work, 29 CFR 1926.95 and 1926.28(a) (Part 1926 Subpart E) govern instead of 29 CFR 1910.132. In Kentucky, Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) enforces the state's own rule on this subject, 803 KAR 2:308 (general industry) and 803 KAR 2:404 (construction). A serious violation carries up to $7,000 in Kentucky.
$7,000
maximum for a serious violation in Kentucky
$70,000
maximum for a willful or repeat violation in Kentucky
3.7
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Kentucky, 2024 (BLS)
What Kentucky's own rule says
Kentucky splits PPE the way the federal standards do and adopts both subparts as written: 803 KAR 2:308 takes 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, and 803 KAR 2:404 takes 1926 Subpart E, most recently amended effective December 30, 2025. The duty is the federal duty. What is worth carrying is the citation habit: a Kentucky inspector writes 803 KAR 2:404, not 1926.95, and the regulation's own history line is where you confirm which federal amendment has actually been taken up.
803 KAR 2:308 (general industry) and 803 KAR 2:404 (construction)The duty matches the federal text. Only the citation number differs.
Read in Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Contact incidents and work deaths in Kentucky, 2024
Kentucky recorded 70 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 91 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 10 of them (14%). Construction accounted for 10.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Kentucky, 2024
How Kentucky Enforces PPE General Requirements
Kentucky runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Kentucky's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 803 KAR 2:308 (general industry) and 803 KAR 2:404 (construction). Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.132 in Kentucky construction in FY2025. Kentucky also sets its own civil-penalty maximums, below the federal baseline (see the penalty table below).
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. A Kentucky 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 Kentucky State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in Kentucky
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Kentucky, the program is OSH Education and Training (Kentucky Labor Cabinet - Kentucky OSH Program). 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.
Kentucky Penalty Amounts for PPE General Requirements (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $7,000 | Kentucky state maximum |
| Willful | $70,000 | Kentucky state maximum |
| Repeat | $70,000 | Kentucky state maximum |
| Failure to abate | $7,000/day | Kentucky state maximum per day |
Kentucky (KRS 338.991) sets its own maximums below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; willful/repeat up to $70,000. KY OSH cannot propose a penalty above these statutory caps. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) 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 Kentucky: Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) 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 $7,000.
- 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)).
Kentucky Safety & Enforcement Profile
563
FY2025 construction citations
Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Kentucky, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (79), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (44) and Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (16), out of 287 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Kentucky, 2024: 7.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, 31st highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 3.7).
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 Kentucky
What are the penalties for PPE General Requirements violations in Kentucky in 2026?
In Kentucky, a serious PPE General Requirements violation carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation, and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000. Kentucky sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline. Kentucky (KRS 338.991) sets its own maximums below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; willful/repeat up to $70,000. KY OSH cannot propose a penalty above these statutory caps. Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: KRS 338.991; verified 2026-10-05.)
Which Kentucky industries most often face a PPE General Requirements inspection?
PPE General Requirements inspections reach general-industry employers in Kentucky, not the construction trades. Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) 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 Kentucky?
29 CFR 1910.132 is enforced against general-industry employers in Kentucky, so the construction citation totals published for Kentucky (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 KY OSH require a written PPE hazard assessment in Kentucky?
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 Kentucky, KY OSH, the state's own OSHA program, can cite a failure to perform or document the assessment, separately from any citation for missing equipment.
Who pays for required PPE in Kentucky?
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. KY OSH enforces this in Kentucky.
Can I get free OSHA help in Kentucky without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Kentucky is OSH Education and Training (Kentucky Labor Cabinet - Kentucky OSH Program). 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
17 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.
Other OSHA Standards in Kentucky
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.
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Serious violation, Kentucky
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