OSHA to issue PPE rule by November

In response to a Jan. 3 federal lawsuit filed by the AFL-CIO and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the Department of Labor told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that OSHA would issue a final rule on employer payment for employees' personal protective equipment in November.

OSHA first proposed a PPE rule in 1999 that would require employers to pay the costs of workers' protective clothing, lifelines, face shields and other equipment, but final disposition was delayed in various stages of rulemaking.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-CA, who had introduced legislation (H.R. 1327) to compel the rule, said she would monitor OSHA to ensure the agency implements the rule.