Departments must pay for almost all PPE required by OSHA standards.  However, there are a few exceptions to this rule:

• Departments are not required to pay for uniforms, items worn to keep clean, or everyday clothes, even when such clothing could serve as PPE or used solely for the protection from weather.
• Departments are not required to pay for safety-toe shoes or prescription safety eyewear, so long as the employee is allowed to wear them off the job-site, are not used in a manner that renders them unsafe for use off the job-site, and are not designed for special use on the job.  (Please not that provisions in union contracts and University policies address reimbursement for safety-toe shoes)
• If an employee voluntarily chooses to provide their own PPE, the department is not required to reimburse the employee.  The department must ensure that employee-owned PPE is adequate for hazards at the workplace.
• The department must pay for replacement PPE, unless the employee has lost or intentionally damaged it.  Consideration must be given to the useful lifetime of PPE when assessing charges for lost or damaged PPE.

For more information about payment for PPE, contact EHS at 8-5294 or [email protected].