Safety Sheets

PPE has to actually fit

The construction PPE rule now says in plain words that protective equipment must be “selected to ensure that it properly fits each affected employee.” OSHA calls this a clarification of what was already required rather than a brand-new rule — but it is now written down, and it is the kind of thing an inspector can see from across the yard.

What that means for us: harnesses, gloves, safety glasses, hard hats and FR that fit the person wearing them. If the only harness on the truck doesn’t fit you, that is not a you problem — text the office and we order your size. Do not make do.

Heat — OSHA is looking, even though there is no heat standard yet

On April 10, 2026 OSHA renewed its National Emphasis Program on indoor and outdoor heat for another five years. That is not a new rule we have to follow — it is a decision about where inspectors spend their time. Attic work, rooftop units, trenches and crawlspaces in a Tennessee July are exactly the picture that program was written around.

The actual heat standard is still only a proposal. It was published August 2024, comments closed January 2025, hearings ran June–July 2025, and post-hearing comments closed September 30, 2025. There is no final rule. Anybody telling you heat rules are now law is ahead of the facts.

Until then the general duty clause still applies: water, shade or A/C, rest breaks, and watching each other. New guys and anybody coming back from vacation are the ones who go down — they aren’t heat-acclimated yet.

Construction lighting rules may be rescinded

OSHA proposed removing the construction illumination requirements (1926.26 and 1926.56). Comments closed November 1, 2025 and nothing is final. Nothing changes for us today — light the work area. Listed here so nobody is surprised if it moves.

This is TOSHA’s own most-cited list for Tennessee construction, January–December 2025. It is the best cheat sheet there is for what an inspector walks up and looks at first.

1. Abatement certification — 65Rule 0800-01-04-.23(4)(a) · getting cited once, then not certifying you fixed it on time. Office item.
2. Eye and face protection — 631926.102(a)(1) · safety glasses on, every time
3. Fall protection, general — 471926.501(b)(1) · 6 feet and up
4. Fall protection training — 461926.503(a)(1) · the training has to exist on paper, not just in your head
5. Ladders — 431926.1053(b)(1) · extend 3 ft above the landing, tie it off
6. Medical services and first aid — 391926.50(c) · stocked kit, trained person when help isn’t close
7. Head protection — 381926.100(a) · hard hat where there’s impact or electrical hazard
8. Residential fall protection — 371926.501(b)(13)
9. Hazard communication training — 311910.1200(h)(1) · see the November deadline above
10. Electrical equipment use — 301926.403(b)(2) · installed and used per the manufacturer’s instructions

TOSHA runs the show for private employers in Tennessee. It adopts the federal standards, but a few Tennessee rules add requirements on top:

• Hazardous Chemical Right to Know — Rule 0800-01-09 adds requirements beyond the federal hazard communication standard. This is the one that touches our SDS binder directly.
• Air contaminants — Tennessee sets its own exposure limits under Rule 0800-1-1-.07(2)(b) instead of the federal table.
• Sharps injury prevention — Rule 0800-01-10, on top of the federal bloodborne pathogens standard.

The TOSHA “It’s the Law” poster has to be up where everybody can see it — that means the shop, not a drawer.

We’re past 10 employees, so the small-employer exemption does not apply to us — we keep the OSHA 300 log, the 301 incident report for each recordable, and the 300A year-end summary.

The 300A summary gets posted in the shop February 1 through April 30 every year, signed by a company executive.

Electronic filing to OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application starts at a higher headcount than ours — if we cross 20 employees in a calendar year, the office needs to re-check that before the March filing window.