In North Carolina, 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 North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division.
29 CFR 1910.132 · North Carolina
PPE General Requirements Requirements in North Carolina
PPE General Requirements in North Carolina: 2026 penalties, who enforces 13 NCAC 07F .0204, adding paragraph (g) to 29 CFR 1926.104, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
North CarolinaGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division
On construction work, 29 CFR 1926.95 and 1926.28(a) (Part 1926 Subpart E) govern instead of 29 CFR 1910.132. In North Carolina, North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division enforces the state's own rule on this subject, 13 NCAC 07F .0204, adding paragraph (g) to 29 CFR 1926.104. 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
4.1
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, North Carolina, 2024 (BLS)
North Carolina 29 CFR 1910.132 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-081
citations of 29 CFR 1910.132 (FY2025)
$0
penalties for this standard
0.1%
of the state's 1,610 construction citations
In FY2025, North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division cited 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 1 times on North Carolina construction jobsites with $0 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 0.1% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it 51st on North Carolina's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What North Carolina's own rule says
“Snaphooks shall be a locking type designed and used to prevent disengagement of the snaphook keeper by the connected member. Locking type snaphooks have self-closing, self-locking keepers which remain closed and locked until unlocked and pressed open for connection or disconnection.”
North Carolina's one substantive addition to the construction PPE subpart is about hardware. Federal 1926.104, on safety belts, lifelines and lanyards, says nothing about keeper design; the locking-snaphook requirement lives only at 1926.502(d)(5) and applies to personal fall arrest systems. North Carolina puts it in Subpart E as well, so any lanyard or lifeline connector on a jobsite here needs a self-closing, self-locking keeper. The state's other construction PPE amendment, at .0202, only inserts a cross-reference into 1926.28(a) and leaves the duty as federally written; its general industry PPE amendment was repealed on May 15, 2008.
13 NCAC 07F .0204, adding paragraph (g) to 29 CFR 1926.104The duty itself differs from the federal text.
Read in North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division's own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Contact incidents and work deaths in North Carolina, 2024
North Carolina recorded 196 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 177 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 31 of them (16%). Construction accounted for 37.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, North Carolina, 2024
How North Carolina Enforces 29 CFR 1910.132
North Carolina runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division, which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce North Carolina's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 13 NCAC 07F .0204, adding paragraph (g) to 29 CFR 1926.104, which differs from the federal text (see the state rule above). North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division cited 29 CFR 1910.132 1 time in North Carolina construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). North Carolina 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. A North Carolina 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 North Carolina State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in North Carolina
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In North Carolina, the program is Bureau of Consultative Services (North Carolina Department of Labor – OSH Division). 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.
North Carolina consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
North Carolina 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) |
North Carolina applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
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 North Carolina: North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division 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)).
North Carolina Safety & Enforcement Profile
1,610
FY2025 construction citations
North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in North Carolina, FY2025: Framing Contractors (266), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (187) and Roofing Contractors (170), out of 987 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in North Carolina, 2024: 7.9 per 100,000 full-time workers, 28th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 4.1).
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 North Carolina
Which North Carolina industries most often face a PPE General Requirements inspection?
PPE General Requirements inspections reach general-industry employers in North Carolina, not the construction trades. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division 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 North Carolina?
29 CFR 1910.132 is enforced against general-industry employers in North Carolina, so the construction citation totals published for North Carolina (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 NCDOL require a written PPE hazard assessment in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina, NCDOL, 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 North Carolina?
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. NCDOL enforces this in North Carolina.
Can I get free OSHA help in North Carolina without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in North Carolina is Bureau of Consultative Services (North Carolina Department of Labor – OSH Division). 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 North Carolina cite 29 CFR 1910.132 in construction?
In FY2025, North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division cited 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 1 times on North Carolina construction jobsites, with $0 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 0.1% of the 1,610 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
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 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 North Carolina
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.
Serious Violation
$16,550
per violation (max)
VS
HazComFast Pro
$199/mo
10 jobsites, unlimited chemicals, unlimited workers
New sign-ups are paused. The free tools below need no account, and customers can log in as usual.
Your account keeps working as usual. Cancel anytime.