Personal protective equipment (PPE) training for employees and supervisors

For employees who wear PPE and the supervisors who choose it: match PPE to the hazard, wear it right, and know what OSHA requires your employer to provide.

For: Employees who use personal protective equipment in general industry or construction, and the supervisors, leads and safety coordinators who select, issue and enforce it

  • 2 contact hours
  • 8 modules
  • 8 interactives
  • 4 job aids
  • Updated October 11, 2026

What you will be able to do

  • Explain the employer's PPE duties under 29 CFR 1910.132, including the written hazard assessment, selection for fit, payment and training.
  • Apply the hierarchy of controls to decide when PPE is the right control and when a higher-level control is needed first.
  • Select eye and face, head, foot, hand, body and high-visibility protection that matches specific workplace hazards.
  • Describe when hearing protection and respirators are required, including medical evaluation, fit testing and voluntary use under 29 CFR 1910.95 and 1910.134.
  • Put on, take off, inspect, maintain and store PPE correctly, and recognize its limitations and signs of damage.
  • Report hazards, damaged or ill-fitting PPE and injuries, and recognize the triggers for retraining, without fear of retaliation.

Learn how OSHA's PPE rules work in practice: why PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls, what a written hazard assessment must contain, who pays, and how to select, fit, wear, inspect and store eye and face, head, foot, hand, body and high-visibility protection. You will also learn the essentials of hearing protection under 29 CFR 1910.95 and respiratory protection under 29 CFR 1910.134, including medical evaluation, fit testing and voluntary use.

Built for anyone who puts on safety glasses, gloves, hard hats, earplugs or a respirator at work, and for the supervisors who decide what people wear. It applies to general industry (29 CFR 1910 Subpart I) and points out where construction rules (29 CFR 1926 Subpart E) differ.

This is awareness training. It does not replace the site-specific, hands-on PPE training your employer must provide, and respirator fit testing must always be done in person. Each module opens with a realistic US workplace case, and you leave with a JHA template, a PPE hazard checklist, an incident report form and a training sign-off record.

What you’ll be able to do Monday morning

  1. Find and read the written PPE hazard assessment certification for your work area.
  2. Inspect your own PPE before your shift and take damaged items out of service.
  3. Check that your safety eyewear is marked to the ANSI Z87.1 standard and that it fits with no gaps.
  4. Do a user seal check every time you put on a tight-fitting respirator, and ask when your next fit test is due.
  5. Tell your supervisor about any PPE that does not fit, gets in the way of the job, or no longer protects you.
  6. Ask whether a hazard you see could be removed or engineered out before relying on PPE.

Curriculum

8 modules · 24 lessons · about 2 contact hours

01Why is PPE the last line of defense, and when does OSHA require it?Free preview13 min
  1. What is PPE, and where does it fit in the hierarchy of controls?
  2. When does OSHA require PPE?
  3. What are your responsibilities as the wearer?
  • Branching scenario: First week at the fabrication shop

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

02What must the hazard assessment, payment and training rules cover?14 min
  1. What does a PPE hazard assessment involve?
  2. What must the written certification say?
  3. Who pays for PPE, and what must training include?
  • Sort activity: Employer pays, or an exception?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

03How do you choose and wear eye and face protection?13 min
  1. When is eye and face protection required?
  2. Which type of eye and face protection matches which hazard?
  3. How do you wear, care for and respond with eye protection?
  • Matching activity: Match the hazard to the PPE

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

04What head and foot protection do you need, and how do you know it still works?13 min
  1. When is head protection required, and what do the labels mean?
  2. How do you inspect and replace a hard hat?
  3. When is protective footwear required, and how do you read the label?
  • Spot the issue: Spot the problems in a PPE hazard assessment

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

05How do you choose gloves, body protection and high-visibility clothing?14 min
  1. What does OSHA require for hand protection?
  2. How do you choose a chemical glove, and when are gloves dangerous?
  3. What about body protection and high-visibility clothing?
  • Decision tree: Glove selection guide

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

06When is hearing protection required, and how do you get a real fit?13 min
  1. What noise levels trigger OSHA requirements?
  2. What does a hearing conservation program give you?
  3. How do you choose, fit and care for hearing protectors?
  • Spot the issue: Spot the problems in a PPE walk-through

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

07What does OSHA require before you wear a respirator?15 min
  1. When are respirators required, and what program must the employer have?
  2. What happens in a medical evaluation and a fit test?
  3. How do you check your seal, and what is voluntary use?
  • Decision tree: Which respirator rules apply?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

08How do you put on, take off, maintain and speak up about PPE?15 min
  1. In what order should you put PPE on and take it off?
  2. How do you inspect, clean and store PPE?
  3. When must you be retrained, and how do you speak up?
  • Self-assessment: My PPE habits

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

Final assessment: 23 questions, 80% to pass, then your certificate

Try it now, no account needed

First week at the fabrication shop

A branching scenario from this course. Your choices are not saved.

Free sample activity

First week at the fabrication shop

You are Tucker Brekke, a new apprentice at a metal fabrication shop in Salina, Kansas. Your supervisor is Ofelia Krauss. Make each decision.

Inside the course

Practice activities

  • Branching scenario1
  • Sort activity1
  • Matching activity1
  • Spot the issue2
  • Decision tree2
  • Self-assessment1

Job aids you keep

  • Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) Template with PPE SelectionTemplate
  • PPE Hazard Assessment ChecklistChecklist
  • PPE Incident, Near-Miss and Defect ReportTemplate
  • PPE Training and Demonstration Sign-Off RecordLog

Credit and approval status

Certificate of completion

This course awards a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. It has not been approved or accredited by OSHA, any OSHA State Plan, IACET or any other accreditor, and it is not OSHA Outreach Training Program (10- or 30-hour) training. It is awareness training: OSHA requires employers to train each employee on the specific PPE they use, and employees must demonstrate that they understand the training and can use PPE properly before doing work that requires it. Respirator fit testing must be done in person. Check with your employer whether this course can count toward your training needs.

Pathways we are pursuing or may pursue include continuing education units issued by a provider accredited under the IACET standard. No approval exists today; any approval will be shown on this page only after it is granted.

Our full approvals list

Questions about this course

Is this course OSHA certification or OSHA 10/30 training?

No. It earns a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. It is not approved or accredited by OSHA, a State Plan or any accreditor, and it is not part of the OSHA Outreach Training Program. OSHA does not certify PPE users. Your employer must still provide training on the specific PPE you use and confirm that you understand it.

Does this course meet OSHA's PPE training requirement?

It covers the general topics in 29 CFR 1910.132(f), such as when PPE is needed, its limitations and care. But OSHA also requires training on the specific PPE you use at your site and that you demonstrate understanding and ability to use it before you work. Use this course alongside your employer's hands-on, site-specific training, and ask your employer whether they accept it.

Can I get fit tested for a respirator online?

No. A fit test checks how a specific respirator seals on your face and must be done in person using an OSHA-accepted qualitative or quantitative protocol, after a medical evaluation. This course explains the process so you know what to expect and why it matters.

Who is this course for?

Employees in manufacturing, warehousing, construction, maintenance, labs, food processing, utilities and other workplaces where PPE is worn, plus the supervisors and safety coordinators who select and enforce it. No prior safety training is required.

Who has to pay for my PPE?

In most cases your employer. OSHA requires employers to provide required PPE at no cost, with limited exceptions such as non-specialty safety-toe boots and prescription safety eyewear that you are allowed to wear off the job, everyday clothing and ordinary weather gear. Module 2 explains the rule and the exceptions.

How long does the course take, and how is it assessed?

About two hours, including eight short modules, interactive practice and a final assessment of 23 questions drawn from a larger bank. You need 80 percent to pass, and you can review and retake it. You can download your certificate of completion after you pass.

This course is general education and training awareness on personal protective equipment from CE Courses Hub. It is not legal, medical or professional advice and does not replace your employer's policies, site-specific PPE training, OSHA or State Plan requirements, or advice from a qualified professional. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for the stated contact hours; it is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, state agency or accreditor unless an approval is shown on the course page. Check with your board, employer or state agency whether this course meets your specific requirement.