Are employers required to provide protective clothing for workers?

Yes. For any employee exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos that exceed a PEL, you must provide and require the use of protective clothing such as coveralls or similar full-body clothing, head coverings, gloves, and foot coverings. You must provide face shields, vented goggles, or other appropriate protective equipment wherever the possibility of eye irritation exists and require workers to wear them. Must employers provide hygiene facilities? Yes. You must establish decontamination areas and hygiene practices for employees exposed above a PEL. In addition, employees may not smoke in work areas that might expose them to asbestos. Do OSHA standards require employers to provide training? Yes. In construction and shipyards, you must provide training for employees exposed above a PEL and for employees involved in each identified work classification. The specific training requirements depend upon the articular class of work being performed. In general industry, you must provide ...  more