PPE in construction: what OSHA requires, who pays, and the fit rule
On a construction site, the employer must require the right personal protective equipment wherever workers are exposed to hazards that call for it (29 CFR 1926.28(a)), provide it at no cost apart from a few listed exceptions (1926.95(d)), and, since January 13, 2025, select it so it properly fits each affected employee (1926.95(c)(2)). The rules for each part of the body sit in Subpart E: head 1926.100, hearing 1926.101, eye and face 1926.102, feet 1926.96, and respirators 1926.103, which adopts 1910.134.
Verified against the eCFR and the Federal Register · September 28, 2026
At a glance
The employer's duty
Require appropriate PPE in every operation with exposure to hazardous conditions, or where Part 1926 calls for it.
1926.28(a)Fit
PPE must be of safe design for the work and selected to properly fit each affected employee. In force since January 13, 2025.
1926.95(c); 89 FR 100321Who pays
The employer, at no cost to employees, including replacements, except the items the rule lists (non-specialty safety-toe boots, everyday and weather clothing, among others).
1926.95(d)Employee-owned PPE
Allowed, but the employer is responsible for its adequacy, maintenance and sanitation, and can't require a worker to buy PPE the rule doesn't except.
1926.95(b), (d)(6)Hazard assessment
The written, certified assessment is a general-industry rule. Part 1926 has none, but the duty to require PPE where hazards exist still starts with looking.
1910.132(d)(2); 1926.28(a)Respirators
Construction uses the general-industry respirator standard word for word: program, medical evaluation, fit testing.
1926.103 → 1910.134Body part by body part
“The employer is responsible for requiring the wearing of appropriate personal protective equipment in all operations where there is an exposure to hazardous conditions or where this part indicates the need for using such equipment to reduce the hazards to the employees.”
| Body part | What the rule requires | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Protective helmets wherever there is a possible danger of head injury from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns. Helmets must meet ANSI Z89.1-2009, -2003 or -1997. | 1926.100(a), (b) |
| Eye and face | Appropriate protection against flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustics, chemical gases or vapors, and injurious light radiation; side protection where objects fly; prescription wearers get protection that includes or fits over their lenses. Devices meet ANSI Z87.1-2010, -2003 or -1989 (R-1998), or are shown to be at least as effective. | 1926.102(a), (b) |
| Hearing | Ear protection when noise can't feasibly be brought below the Table D-2 limits (90 dBA over 8 hours). Inserts are fitted or determined individually by competent persons; plain cotton doesn't count. Above the table, a continuing, effective hearing conservation program is required. | 1926.101; 1926.52(d)(1) |
| Feet | Safety-toe footwear must meet ANSI Z41.1-1967, the standard 1926.96 still names. | 1926.96 |
| Hands | Part 1926 has no general glove section. Gloves fall under the rule for protection of the extremities, chosen for the hazard: cut, chemical or thermal. Rubber insulating gloves for electrical work have their own section (next row). | 1926.95(a) |
| Electrical | Rubber insulating gloves, sleeves, blankets, covers and line hose meet the design rules of 1926.97(a). In service, gloves are electrically tested before first issue and every 6 months after, and again when their insulating value is suspect. | 1926.97(a), (c)(2)(viii); Table E-5 |
| Lungs | Respirators follow 1910.134 in full: written program, medical evaluation, fit testing, training. Proposed, not in force: OSHA's July 1, 2025 proposal (90 FR 28463) would remove some medical evaluation requirements for filtering facepieces and loose-fitting PAPRs; hearings began August 19, 2026. | 1926.103 |
| Over or near water | Where there is a danger of drowning, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets or buoyant work vests, inspected for defects before and after each use. | 1926.106(a), (b) |
| Body and visibility | Protective clothing wherever the hazard calls for it. Flaggers' warning garments follow Part 6 of the MUTCD. | 1926.95(a); 1926.201(a) |
Falls are their own subpart: harnesses and lanyards are personal fall arrest systems under 29 CFR 1926.502(d), covered on the fall protection page. For a chemical, section 8 of its SDS names the PPE; the PPE selector turns it into a task list.
The fit rule: in force since January 13, 2025
“Employers must ensure that all personal protective equipment: (1) Is of safe design and construction for the work to be performed; and (2) Is selected to ensure that it properly fits each affected employee.”
What changed
OSHA's final rule of December 12, 2024 (89 FR 100321) revised the construction PPE standard “to explicitly require that the equipment must fit properly.” General industry already required PPE that properly fits each affected employee (1910.132(d)(1)(iii)). The rule adds no new types of PPE.
Why it matters on a jobsite
The rule's preamble describes sleeves that are too long and gloves that don't fit, which make tools hard to use or get caught in machinery, and pant legs too long that trip the wearer and the people nearby. It names smaller construction workers, including some women, who can't use standard-size PPE, and larger workers too. In practice: a size run in the gang box, not one size for the crew.
The full story of the rulemaking: the 2024 PPE fit rule, explained.
Who pays for what
The rule starts from employer payment and lists the exceptions. An employer can't require a worker to provide or pay for PPE outside those exceptions (1926.95(d)(6)).
| Item | Who pays | 1926.95 |
|---|---|---|
| PPE used to comply with Part 1926 (hard hats, safety glasses, face shields, hearing protection, harnesses, specialty gloves) | Employer | (d)(1) |
| Replacement PPE | Employer, unless the employee lost it or damaged it on purpose | (d)(5) |
| Non-specialty safety-toe boots and prescription safety eyewear worn off the job site | Not required of the employer | (d)(2) |
| Shoes or boots with built-in metatarsal protection, when the employer offers metatarsal guards | Not required of the employer | (d)(3) |
| Everyday clothing, and ordinary weather gear (coats, rain gear, winter gloves, sunscreen) | Not required of the employer | (d)(4) |
| Adequate PPE the employee chooses to bring | May be allowed; no reimbursement required | (d)(6) |
When another OSHA standard says whether the employer pays for specific equipment, that standard prevails (note to 1926.95(d)).
The hazard assessment: a general-industry rule, a jobsite habit
General industry: written and certified
1910.132(d)(1) requires assessing the workplace for hazards that call for PPE, selecting it, communicating the choice to each affected employee and making sure it fits. (d)(2) requires a written certification that names the workplace evaluated, the person certifying, the date and the document as a certification of hazard assessment. Under (g), these apply to the eye and face, head, foot, hand and personal fall protection sections, not to respirators or electrical protective equipment.
Construction: no certification rule
Part 1926 has no written PPE assessment requirement. But 1926.28(a) ties the duty to require PPE to exposure, so someone has to look first. A written assessment per task or area is how a contractor shows OSHA that it did.
Run PPE on a jobsite, in six steps
Step 1
Walk each task with the hazards in view
Impact and falling objects, flying particles, chemicals from the SDS, noise, heat, electrical work. 1926.28(a) ties the PPE duty to exposure, so the list starts on the ground, not in the catalog.
Step 2
Match each hazard to its Subpart E rule
Head 1926.100, eye and face 1926.102, hearing 1926.101, feet 1926.96, extremities 1926.95(a), respirators 1926.103. Section 8 of each SDS names the PPE for that chemical.
Step 3
Size it to the worker
Since January 13, 2025, PPE has to be selected to properly fit each affected employee (1926.95(c)(2)). Stock the sizes your crew actually needs, including smaller and larger ones.
Step 4
Issue it at no cost, and write it down
The employer pays, replacements included, apart from the items 1926.95(d)(2) to (d)(4) list. A dated issue record answers the payment question before anyone asks it.
Step 5
Train on the hazards and the gear
Each employee is instructed in recognizing and avoiding the unsafe conditions of their work (1926.21(b)(2)); respirator users get the 1910.134 training too.
Step 6
Inspect and replace
PPE is kept in a sanitary and reliable condition (1926.95(a)). Pull cracked shells, scratched lenses, worn gloves and damaged harnesses out of service.
Run your PPE program in HazComFast
The assessment, the gear each chemical calls for and the training record live in one account, jobsite by jobsite, so the answer to “show me your PPE assessment” is a PDF, not a search through the trailer.
A certified assessment, signed on the phone
Pick the jobsite, name the work area, the assessment date and the next review, select the hazards and the PPE by body part (eye, face, head, hand, foot, hearing, respiratory, body), and sign it on screen. The certifier's name and title go on the record, the elements 1910.132(d)(2) asks for.
A certificate you can hand over
Every assessment downloads as a certificate, and it is one of the documents the defense package pulls together when OSHA or a general contractor asks for your records.
The PPE for every chemical, on site
Scan the QR code on a container and any worker opens its SDS, section 8 included, with no app to install. The SDS lookup shows each product's hazards, first aid and PPE on every plan.
What each plan includes
- PPE hazard assessment and certificationFrom Starter
- SDS lookup: hazards, first aid, PPEEvery plan
- Training center and assignmentsFrom Starter
- Toolbox talks with signatures and attendanceFrom Starter
- Respirator fit testingFrom Pro
- Litigation defense packageFrom Starter
- Full record export, any timeEvery plan
Key facts
- 1926.28(a) makes the employer responsible for requiring appropriate PPE wherever there is exposure to hazardous conditions, or where Part 1926 calls for it.
- OSHA's December 12, 2024 final rule (89 FR 100321) added the explicit fit requirement to 1926.95(c)(2), effective January 13, 2025. The rule's text names smaller workers, including some women, and larger workers as the people standard sizes fail.
- The employer pays for PPE used to comply with Part 1926, and for replacements, unless the employee lost it or damaged it on purpose (1926.95(d)(1), (d)(5)).
- An employer can't require a worker to provide or pay for their own PPE, except the items 1926.95(d)(2) to (d)(5) list.
- The written hazard assessment certification (workplace, certifier, date, identified as a certification) is 1910.132(d)(2), a general-industry rule; 1910.132(g) applies it to the eye and face, head, foot, hand and personal fall protection sections (1910.133, .135, .136, .138, .140).
- Construction has no general glove section; gloves fall under 1926.95(a). Rubber insulating gloves are the exception: 1926.97 sets their design and a test before first issue and every 6 months (Table E-5). General industry's hand protection rule is 1910.138.
- Above the 90 dBA, 8-hour limit of Table D-2, 1926.52(d)(1) requires a continuing, effective hearing conservation program, and 1926.101 requires ear protection where noise can't feasibly be reduced.
- When another OSHA standard says whether the employer pays for specific equipment, that standard's payment rule prevails (note to 1926.95(d)).
Tools, guides and the standards
Free tools
- PPE Selector
The PPE for a task, from the hazards and the SDS.
- Noise Exposure Calculator
Daily dose against Table D-2 and 1910.95.
- Fit Test Method Selector
QLFT or QNFT for the respirator in use.
- Respirator Fit Test Log
One record per worker and respirator.
- Job Hazard Analysis Builder
Task steps, hazards and controls, PPE last.
- Toolbox Talk Generator
A five-minute talk on the PPE for today's work.
PPE in construction FAQ
Does OSHA require employers to provide PPE on construction sites?
Yes. The employer is responsible for requiring appropriate PPE wherever there is exposure to hazardous conditions (29 CFR 1926.28(a)), and protective equipment must be provided, used and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever the hazards call for it (1926.95(a)). The specific rules sit in Subpart E: head 1926.100, hearing 1926.101, eye and face 1926.102, feet 1926.96, respirators 1926.103.
Who pays for PPE in construction?
The employer, at no cost to employees, for PPE used to comply with Part 1926, and for replacements unless the employee lost it or damaged it on purpose (29 CFR 1926.95(d)(1), (d)(5)). The employer doesn't have to pay for non-specialty safety-toe boots or prescription safety eyewear it lets workers wear off the site, for everyday clothing, or for ordinary weather gear ((d)(2) to (d)(4)).
What is OSHA's PPE fit rule for construction?
A final rule published December 12, 2024 (89 FR 100321) and effective January 13, 2025 amended 29 CFR 1926.95(c) to require that PPE be of safe design for the work and selected to properly fit each affected employee. It adds no new types of PPE; it makes proper fit an explicit requirement, as general industry already had in 1910.132(d)(1)(iii).
Is a written PPE hazard assessment required in construction?
Part 1926 has no written hazard assessment or certification rule for PPE. That requirement is 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2) in general industry: a written certification naming the workplace, the person certifying, the date and the document as a certification. On a jobsite, the duty to require PPE where hazards exist (1926.28(a)) still starts with an assessment, and writing it down is how you show it happened.
Can employees bring their own PPE?
Yes, if it is adequate. The employer stays responsible for its adequacy, maintenance and sanitation (29 CFR 1926.95(b)), may let the employee use it without reimbursing it, and can't require the employee to provide or pay for PPE the rule doesn't except (1926.95(d)(6)).
Which ANSI standards apply to hard hats and safety glasses in construction?
Hard hats must meet ANSI Z89.1-2009, -2003 or -1997 (29 CFR 1926.100(b)). Eye and face protection must meet ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, ANSI Z87.1-2003 or Z87.1-1989 (R-1998), or be shown to be at least as effective (1926.102(b)).
Is hearing protection required on construction sites?
Where noise can't feasibly be reduced below the Table D-2 limits in 29 CFR 1926.52, which start at 90 dBA over 8 hours, ear protection must be provided and used (1926.101(a)). Inserts are fitted or determined individually by competent persons, and plain cotton is not acceptable. Above the table, 1926.52(d)(1) requires a continuing, effective hearing conservation program.
Does OSHA require gloves in construction?
There is no general glove section in Part 1926. Gloves fall under the requirement to protect the extremities wherever the hazard calls for it (29 CFR 1926.95(a)), and the employer pays for them when they are used to comply, except ordinary winter gloves worn for the weather ((d)(4)). Rubber insulating gloves for electrical work have their own rules in 1926.97, including an electrical test before first issue and every 6 months.
Does the PPE rule cover respirators?
Respirators have their own rule. In construction, 29 CFR 1926.103 adopts 1910.134 word for word: a written program, medical evaluation, fit testing and training. The full breakdown is on the respiratory protection hub.
Sources
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.28
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.95
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.100
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.101
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.102
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1910.132
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.97
- ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.106
- federalregister.gov/d/2025-12235
- federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/12/2024-29220/personal-protective-equipment-in-construction
29 CFR 1926.21, 1926.28, 1926.52, 1926.95 to 1926.106, 1926.201 and 1910.132 read on the eCFR, and the 2024 final rule (89 FR 100321) on the Federal Register, on September 28, 2026. General guidance, not legal advice; OSHA-approved State Plans may impose additional requirements.
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