For small business owners, staying on top of OSHA's PPE requirements can feel overwhelming. There's no dedicated safety department, no full-time compliance officer — just you, your team, and the work that needs to get done. But OSHA applies to businesses of all sizes, and the fines for non-compliance can be devastating for a small operation.
This PPE compliance checklist is designed for small businesses. Use it to conduct a quick self-audit, identify gaps, and get compliant before an OSHA inspection finds them first.
Step 1: Conduct Your Written Hazard Assessment
OSHA requires this before selecting any PPE. Walk through your workplace and identify every task that involves a potential hazard. Document your findings in writing with the date and your signature.
Ask these questions for each work area or task:
- Could something fall on or strike a worker's head?
- Are workers at risk of eye injury from debris, chemicals, or radiation?
- Is noise above 85 dB for extended periods?
- Do workers handle chemicals, acids, or hazardous materials?
- Is there a risk of cuts, punctures, or heat burns to the hands?
- Are workers at heights of 4 feet or more (6 feet in construction)?
- Is there electrical hazard exposure?
✅ Checklist item: Written hazard assessment completed, dated, and signed.
Step 2: Head Protection
Required when workers could be struck by falling or moving objects, or when working near exposed electrical conductors.
- Hard hats meet ANSI Z89.1 (check for marking inside the hat)
- Correct class selected: Class E for electrical hazards, Class G for general use
- Suspension systems intact — no fraying or cracks
- Shells free from cracks, dents, or UV degradation
- Hard hats replaced after any significant impact
✅ Checklist item: All workers in head-hazard areas have compliant, well-maintained hard hats.
Step 3: Eye and Face Protection
Required for tasks involving flying particles, liquid chemicals, harmful radiation, or intense light.
- Safety glasses or goggles marked ANSI Z87.1 or Z87+
- Chemical splash goggles available for any chemical handling tasks
- Face shields available for grinding, pouring, or heavy splash risks (used over safety glasses)
- Lenses free from scratches that impair vision or reduce impact resistance
- Prescription eyewear workers have either prescription safety glasses or OTG (over-the-glasses) protection
✅ Checklist item: All workers in eye-hazard areas have ANSI Z87.1-compliant eye protection.
Step 4: Hearing Protection
Required when noise exposure reaches 85 dB averaged over 8 hours.
- Noise levels in your workplace have been evaluated
- Hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) available in all high-noise areas
- Workers know how to correctly insert/wear their hearing protection
- If 85+ dB exposure exists: written Hearing Conservation Program established
- Annual hearing tests provided to exposed workers
✅ Checklist item: Hearing protection available and workers trained on use in all high-noise areas.
Step 5: Hand Protection
Required for tasks involving cuts, chemicals, heat, electrical hazards, or harmful substances.
- Correct glove material selected for each task (nitrile for chemicals, cut-resistant for blades, leather for heat, etc.)
- Gloves inspected before each use for tears, holes, or degradation
- Chemical gloves checked against a chemical resistance chart for each substance used
- Electrical rubber insulating gloves tested within the last 6 months (if applicable)
- Workers NOT wearing gloves near rotating machinery (drill press, lathe, grinder)
✅ Checklist item: Correct glove types available for each task; workers trained on selection and inspection.
Step 6: Foot Protection
Required when workers face falling objects, rolling equipment, puncture hazards, or electrical risks to feet.
- Safety footwear meets ASTM F2413
- Steel-toe or composite-toe boots used in areas with heavy object or rolling hazards
- Puncture-resistant soles used on sites with nail or spike hazards
- Electrical hazard (EH) rated boots used when working on or near live electrical circuits
✅ Checklist item: Workers in foot-hazard areas wearing ASTM F2413-compliant safety footwear.
Step 7: High-Visibility Clothing
Required for workers exposed to vehicle or equipment traffic.
- High-vis vests or clothing available for any outdoor work near roads or vehicles
- Clothing meets ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 (near slow-moving traffic) or Class 3 (near high-speed traffic or at night)
- Reflective material in good condition — not faded or peeling
✅ Checklist item: ANSI 107-compliant high-visibility apparel used wherever traffic exposure exists.
Step 8: PPE Training Documentation
OSHA requires documented training for every employee required to use PPE.
- Every PPE user has received training on: when to use it, how to wear it, its limitations, and how to maintain it
- Training records on file with employee name, date, and trainer signature
- Training repeated when: employee changes roles, new hazards are introduced, or an employee demonstrates they don't understand proper use
✅ Checklist item: PPE training records on file for all employees using protective equipment.
Step 9: PPE Inspection and Replacement Program
- Workers know how to inspect their own PPE before each use
- Damaged or expired PPE is immediately removed from service
- Replacement PPE is readily available — workers don't work without protection while waiting for new equipment
- Manufacturer replacement guidelines are followed for each item
✅ Checklist item: PPE inspection and replacement process in place and communicated to all workers.
Step 10: PPE Payment Compliance
- All required PPE is provided at no cost to employees (with OSHA-specified exceptions)
- Employer does not charge employees for PPE unless they intentionally damage or lose it
✅ Checklist item: All required PPE provided free of charge to employees.
Get Your PPE from RANOVA USA
RANOVA USA supplies small businesses with the full range of OSHA-compliant PPE — hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, high-vis vests, and more. Browse our full safety catalog and check every item off your compliance list.