In Massachusetts, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 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 federal OSHA (the state plan, Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (Workplace Safety and Health Program), covers only public employees).
29 CFR 1910.132 · Massachusetts
PPE General Requirements Requirements in Massachusetts
PPE General Requirements in Massachusetts: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.132, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
MassachusettsGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)Federal OSHA (private) · State plan (public)
On construction work, 29 CFR 1926.95 and 1926.28(a) (Part 1926 Subpart E) govern instead of 29 CFR 1910.132. In Massachusetts, federal OSHA enforces 29 CFR 1910.132. 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
2.1
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Massachusetts, 2024 (BLS)
Federal OSHA in Massachusetts: 29 CFR 1910.132, FY2025
Counted · 2026-09-262
citations of 29 CFR 1910.132 in 2 inspections
$8,000
penalties, current amounts ($11,585 as first proposed)
0.1%
of the 1,487 federal construction citations in Massachusetts
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 2 times in inspections of Massachusetts construction employers. It ranked 40th of the 66 standards cited in them. By classification: 2 serious. Most-cited paragraphs: 1910.132(d)(1) (1), 1910.132(f)(1) (1).
NAICS 23 classifies the employer, not the work. 29 CFR 1910.132 does not govern construction work, so these citations do not measure what happens on construction jobsites.
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). data.dol.gov
What federal OSHA is targeting in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has no state OSHA plan for private-sector work, so there is no state rule to read. What differs here is which hazards federal OSHA schedules inspections for, as set out in published emphasis directives.
Regional Local Emphasis Program for Noise in the Workplace
BOS-CPL-04-00-029 · Boston Regional Office · effective October 1, 2024
“This instruction applies to Federal OSHA, Boston Region jurisdiction.”
Noise carries its own programmed-inspection program across the Boston region. It is the program most likely to put a hearing conservation file and a PPE hazard assessment in front of an inspector in these five states, and it runs alongside the region's residential construction, crane and forklift programs rather than instead of them.
Contact incidents and work deaths in Massachusetts, 2024
Massachusetts recorded 75 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 111 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 5 of them (7%). Construction accounted for 25.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Massachusetts, 2024
How Massachusetts Enforces 29 CFR 1910.132
Massachusetts operates an OSHA-approved state plan (Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (Workplace Safety and Health Program)), but it covers only state and local government employees. Private-sector construction employers in Massachusetts are inspected by federal OSHA, which enforces 29 CFR 1910.132 directly using the federal penalty maximums. So if you run a private construction company in Massachusetts, PPE General Requirements citations come from a federal Department of Labor compliance officer, not Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (Workplace Safety and Health Program).
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 Massachusetts 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.
For a private-sector jobsite in Massachusetts, HazComFast shows that federal OSHA has jurisdiction, because the state plan covers public employers only. Start free
Help and oversight in Massachusetts
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Massachusetts, the program is On-Site Consultation Program (Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards). 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.
Massachusetts consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
A State Plan for public employers only
“The Massachusetts State Plan covers all state and local government workers in the state.” “OSHA also exercises authority over private sector employers in the state and federal OSHA standards apply to these workers.”
Initial approval August 18, 2022 · 29 CFR 1952.29 · osha.gov
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Springfield Area Office (Springfield).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Massachusetts Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.132 (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) |
Massachusetts applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Federal OSHA reduces the proposed penalty for employer size, good faith and history (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch. 6). There was no inflation increase for 2026: the 2025 amounts remain in effect (OMB Memo M-26-11).
Key PPE General Requirements Requirements 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 Massachusetts: Federal OSHA inspects private construction employers; the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (Workplace Safety and Health Program) State Plan covers state and local government workers only.
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)).
Massachusetts Safety & Enforcement Profile
26,559
Federal construction citations (national, FY2025)
1,487 of them in Massachusetts (HazComFast count)
Federal OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Massachusetts, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (240), Framing Contractors (111) and Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (102), out of 999 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Massachusetts, 2024: 9.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, 17th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 2.1).
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 Massachusetts
Which Massachusetts industries most often face a PPE General Requirements inspection?
PPE General Requirements inspections reach general-industry employers in Massachusetts, not the construction trades. Private-sector employers answer to federal OSHA (the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (Workplace Safety and Health Program) plan covers only public workers). 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 Massachusetts?
29 CFR 1910.132 is enforced against general-industry employers in Massachusetts, so the construction citation totals published for Massachusetts (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).
Can I get free OSHA help in Massachusetts without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Massachusetts is On-Site Consultation Program (Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards). 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.
How often does federal OSHA cite 29 CFR 1910.132 in Massachusetts construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 2 times in 2 inspections of Massachusetts construction employers, with $8,000 in penalties at current amounts ($11,585 as first proposed), 0.1% of the 1,487 citations those inspections produced. It ranked 40th of the 66 standards cited. NAICS 23 classifies the employer, not the work: 29 CFR 1910.132 does not govern construction work itself. (HazComFast count from U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, retrieved 2026-09-26.)
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.
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 maxIowa481—210.4(88), with the beryllium limits stated in 481—211.2(88)Maryland29 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 max
Other OSHA Standards in Massachusetts
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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