In Tennessee, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 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 Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA). Tennessee sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline.
29 CFR 1910.132 · Tennessee
PPE General Requirements Requirements in Tennessee
PPE General Requirements in Tennessee: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.132 as adopted by 0800-1-1-.06, with the air contaminant limits at 0800-1-1-.07(2), the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
TennesseeGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA)State-set maximums
On construction work, 29 CFR 1926.95 and 1926.28(a) (Part 1926 Subpart E) govern instead of 29 CFR 1910.132. In Tennessee, Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) enforces 29 CFR 1910.132. A serious violation carries up to $7,000 in Tennessee.
$7,000
maximum for a serious violation in Tennessee
$70,000
maximum for a willful or repeat violation in Tennessee
5.1
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Tennessee, 2024 (BLS)
Tennessee 29 CFR 1910.132 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-084
citations of 29 CFR 1910.132 (FY2025)
$1,600
penalties for this standard
0.3%
of the state's 1,249 construction citations
In FY2025, Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 4 times on Tennessee construction jobsites with $1,600 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 0.3% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it 45th on Tennessee's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What Tennessee's own rule says
The PPE standard itself is adopted federal text. The reason it bites differently in Tennessee is the exposure limits sitting underneath it: 0800-1-1-.07(2) keeps the 1989 air contaminant values rather than the current federal Table Z, so the hazard assessment that drives PPE selection can land on a different answer here than it would across a state line. Tennessee also does not adopt 1910.1 through 1910.4, or 1910.15 and 1910.16 on shipyard and longshoring work, and its general industry adoption is expressed as Part 1910 as of July 1, 2008 except as provided in that exceptions rule.
29 CFR 1910.132 as adopted by 0800-1-1-.06, with the air contaminant limits at 0800-1-1-.07(2)The duty itself differs from the federal text.
Contact incidents and work deaths in Tennessee, 2024
Tennessee recorded 155 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 164 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 30 of them (19%). Construction accounted for 29.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Tennessee, 2024
How Tennessee Enforces 29 CFR 1910.132
Tennessee runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Tennessee's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 29 CFR 1910.132 as adopted by 0800-1-1-.06, with the air contaminant limits at 0800-1-1-.07(2), which differs from the federal text (see the state rule above). Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1910.132 4 times in Tennessee construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in Tennessee
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Tennessee, the program is TOSHA Consultation (Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development). 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.
Tennessee consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Tennessee Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.132 (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $7,000 | Tennessee state maximum |
| Willful | $70,000 | Tennessee state maximum |
| Repeat | $70,000 | Tennessee state maximum |
| Failure to abate | State schedule | Tennessee publishes its own failure-to-abate amount; see the state schedule |
Tennessee (TCA §50-3-403) has not adopted OSHA's post-2016 penalty increases: it caps serious violations at $7,000 and willful/repeat at $70,000, well below the federal amounts. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) 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 Tennessee: Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) 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)).
Tennessee Safety & Enforcement Profile
1,249
FY2025 construction citations
Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Tennessee, FY2025: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (77), Framing Contractors (48) and Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (37), out of 439 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Tennessee, 2024: 10.2 per 100,000 full-time workers, 14th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 5.1).
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 Tennessee
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1910.132 violations in Tennessee in 2026?
In Tennessee, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.132 carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation, and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000. Tennessee sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline. Tennessee (TCA §50-3-403) has not adopted OSHA's post-2016 penalty increases: it caps serious violations at $7,000 and willful/repeat at $70,000, well below the federal amounts. Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: T.C.A. §50-3-403; verified 2026-10-05.)
Which Tennessee industries most often face a PPE General Requirements inspection?
PPE General Requirements inspections reach general-industry employers in Tennessee, not the construction trades. Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) 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 Tennessee?
29 CFR 1910.132 is enforced against general-industry employers in Tennessee, so the construction citation totals published for Tennessee (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 TOSHA require a written PPE hazard assessment in Tennessee?
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 Tennessee, TOSHA, 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 Tennessee?
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. TOSHA enforces this in Tennessee.
Can I get free OSHA help in Tennessee without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Tennessee is TOSHA Consultation (Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development). 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 Tennessee cite 29 CFR 1910.132 in construction?
In FY2025, Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE General Requirements) 4 times on Tennessee construction jobsites, with $1,600 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 0.3% of the 1,249 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
PPE General Requirements Guides & Resources
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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 Tennessee
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, Tennessee
$7,000
per violation (max)
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