Although many employees typically provide some or all of their own work attire, it is the employer who will be issued a citation if a worker who is exposed to electric arc or flame hazards is not wearing flame-resistant (FR) clothing. Additionally, since FR properties can be compromised due to incorrect repairs or laundering – or simply by repeated washings – employers should instruct their workers on the proper care of FR apparel.
That guidance, from then-OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary James W. Stanley, was issued for Guidelines for the Enforcement of the Apparel Standard, 29 CFR 1910.269(l)(6), of the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Standard. Stanley’s memorandum1, first issued in 1995 and then updated in 2004, spells out OSHA’s enforcement policy with regard to the “296” standard.