1910.9(a): Personal protective equipment
Key takeaways
- 1910.9(a) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart A).
- OSHA cited it 4 times in the last 3 years, in 4 inspections, with $24,197 in current penalties.
- 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.9(a) ("Personal protective equipment") is one requirement inside 1910.9 Compliance duties owed to each employee, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart A). The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(a) Personal protective equipment. Standards in this part requiring the employer to provide personal protective equipment (PPE), including respirators and other types of PPE, because of hazards to employees impose a separate compliance duty with respect to each employee covered by the requirement. The employer must provide PPE to each employee required to use the PPE, and each failure to provide PPE to an employee may be considered a separate violation. 4 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.9.
Export the list: 4 inspections cited 1910.9(a) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.9(a).
On November 6, 2024, while cleaning floors after closing, she was involved in a cleaning procedure that required heating water in large kettles, transferring the hot water into a wheeled trash can, and moving it to the dining area to scrub the floors. While transporting…
Where and how often it was cited
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.9(a).
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.9 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.