Many Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) health & safety standards require employers to provide their employees with protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), when such equipment is necessary to protect employees from job-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. These requirements address PPE of many kinds: hard hats, gloves, goggles, safety shoes, safety glasses, goggles, face shields, chemical protective equipment, and so forth. They state that the employer is to provide such PPE. However, these provisions do not specify that the employer is to provide such PPE at no cost to the employee.   Continue reading →