What Is OSHA 29 CFR 1910.138? General Industry Hand Protection Explained

Hand Injuries Are the Most Cited OSHA Violation Nobody Talks About — 1910.138 Is Why That Needs to Change

Reviewed by the WC Safety Editorial Team — independent safety specialists. Last updated: May 2026.

Short answer: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.138 is the federal hand protection standard for general industry — covering every Part 1910 workplace from manufacturing plants and warehouses to utilities and chemical facilities. It requires employers to provide appropriate work gloves whenever employees face hazards including chemical exposure, cuts, punctures, burns, abrasion, and impacts. Unlike head protection (where OSHA cites ANSI Z89.1 by name), 1910.138 demands hazard-matched glove selection — the employer must prove the glove's performance fits the specific hazard, not just that a glove was issued.

The Scale of the Problem: Hand and finger injuries account for approximately 1 million emergency room visits annually in U.S. workplaces, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — more than any other body part. Yet Subpart I hand protection citations remain among the most frequently contested, often because employers issued gloves but failed to document the hazard assessment that justified the selection. Under OSHA 1910.138, issuing a glove is not compliance — issuing the right glove, documented to the right hazard, is compliance.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.138 — Quick Reference

What Is OSHA 29 CFR 1910.138?

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.138 is the General Industry Hand Protection standard, located in Subpart I (Personal Protective Equipment) of 29 CFR Part 1910. It is the hand-protection counterpart to 1910.135 (head protection) and works within the same overarching PPE framework established by 29 CFR 1910.132.

The text of 1910.138 is deliberately broad. Section (a) — General requirements — states:

29 CFR 1910.138(a): "Employers shall select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances; severe cuts or lacerations; severe abrasions; punctures; chemical burns; thermal burns; and harmful temperature extremes."

Section (b) — Selection: "Employers shall base the selection of the appropriate hand protection on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task(s) to be performed, conditions present, duration of use, and the hazards and potential hazards identified."

These two paragraphs define the entire obligation: evaluate the hazard, select the glove that matches it, and enforce its use. The critical word in (b) is "performance characteristics" — the standard requires gloves to be selected on the basis of documented performance data, not brand familiarity, cost alone, or visual appearance.

Who Does OSHA 1910.138 Apply To?

OSHA 1910.138 applies to every employer covered by 29 CFR Part 1910 — general industry. This is the broadest OSHA standard category, encompassing virtually all private-sector workplaces not covered by a separate sector standard:

Not covered: Construction (29 CFR Part 1926), agriculture (Part 1928), and maritime (Parts 1915–1918) have separate hand protection obligations — construction employers look to 29 CFR 1926.28 and 1926.95.

The Four-Part Compliance Framework Under OSHA 1910.138

1. Conduct a Written Hazard Assessment (1910.132(d))

Before work begins in any area with potential hand hazards, the employer must assess the workplace to identify the specific hazards present — by task, by chemical or physical agent, and by severity. This assessment must be documented in a written certification that identifies the workplace evaluated, the date of assessment, and the certifying signature of the responsible person. The written certification is not optional — its absence triggers a separate 1910.132(d) citation alongside any 1910.138 violation found during inspection. The hazard assessment drives all downstream glove selection decisions.

2. Select Gloves Matched to Performance Data (1910.138(b))

Based on the hazard assessment, the employer must select gloves whose tested and documented performance characteristics match the identified hazards. This means:

• Chemical hazards → Chemical resistance charts showing permeation breakthrough time and degradation rating for the specific chemical at actual concentration and contact duration
• Cut/laceration hazards → ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 cut level (A1–A9) matched to the documented blade type and severity — see our ANSI cut levels guide
• Impact/crush hazards → ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 Level 1, 2, or 3 rating matched to the energy and frequency of impact exposure — see our full guide: What Is ANSI/ISEA 138-2019?
• Thermal hazards → Heat resistance ratings (ASTM F1060 contact heat, EN 407 flame/convective/radiant heat) matched to the temperature and exposure type
• Puncture hazards → ANSI/ISEA 105 puncture level matched to the object diameter and force likely to be encountered

3. Provide at No Cost and Enforce Use (1910.132(h) + 1910.138(a))

Required hand protection must be provided to employees at no cost. Once issued, employers must actively enforce use — providing gloves without verifying they are worn in the hazard zone does not satisfy the standard. OSHA compliance officers will observe employees performing work during an inspection and cite any ungloved hand in a documented hazard area as a 1910.138 violation.

4. Train Employees (1910.132(f))

Each employee must be trained before first exposure on: when hand protection is required; which gloves are required for which tasks; how to don, doff, and adjust the gloves; the limitations of the selected PPE; and how to inspect gloves for damage or chemical permeation. Retraining is required when job hazards change or when an employee demonstrates inadequate understanding. For a complete hazard-based glove selection framework, see: Hand Protection Selection Guide — Matching Gloves to Hazards.

Glove Selection by Hazard Type — What OSHA 1910.138 Requires in Practice

Chemical Hazards

For chemical skin absorption and burn hazards, glove material selection must be based on chemical permeation and degradation data published by the glove manufacturer. Common material-hazard pairings:

Cut and Laceration Hazards

For cut hazards, ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 provides nine cut levels (A1 through A9) based on standardized machine-blade testing. Employers must match the cut level to the documented hazard:

• A1–A2: Light cardboard, mild abrasion — general warehouse and assembly
• A3–A4: Sheet metal edges, strapping, light glass — fabrication and stamping operations
• A5–A6: Heavy gauge sheet metal, sharp glass, stamped parts — metal fabrication and auto assembly
• A7–A9: The most severe blade, glass, and metal hazards — glass handling, high-speed stamping, wire rope

Browse our range of cut-resistant gloves sorted by ANSI cut level. For a full breakdown of the rating system: ANSI Cut Levels Explained — A1 Through A9 Guide.

Impact and Crush Hazards

For impact and crush hazards, ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 defines three levels of back-of-hand impact protection. Browse our ANSI 138-rated impact gloves and for editorial picks: Best Work Gloves 2026. For application-based guidance: Impact Glove Buying Guide — Level 1 vs. 2 vs. 3.

OSHA Enforcement of 1910.138 — Citations and Penalties

OSHA's general industry inspection program encounters 1910.138 violations through three primary pathways: programmed inspections of high-hazard facilities (SIC codes with elevated hand injury incident rates), complaint-based inspections triggered by worker reports, and post-incident investigations following laceration, amputation, crush, or chemical burn events.

What OSHA compliance officers check in hand protection inspections:

• Workers in documented hazard areas observed working without gloves — each worker is a separate citation instance
• Gloves issued but not matched to the hazard type — e.g., cotton work gloves issued in a chemical splash environment
• No written hazard assessment certification under 1910.132(d)
• No training records for employees required to use hand protection
• Gloves available but no enforcement of use — no policy, no signage, supervisors not enforcing
• Damaged or chemically permeated gloves in active use that have not been replaced

For the parallel head protection enforcement context and the full PPE compliance picture across Subpart I, see: OSHA PPE Requirements — Full Subpart I and Subpart E Overview and our construction PPE requirements guide.

Hand Protection Alongside Other PPE — The Complete Subpart I Picture

In every general industry environment where hands need protection, other body parts face simultaneous hazards that trigger additional Subpart I requirements:

• Eye and face protection (1910.133) — operations generating flying debris, chemical splash, or arc flash that threaten the hands will also threaten the eyes; safety glasses rated to ANSI Z87.1 are required simultaneously
• Head protection (1910.135) — workers in overhead-hazard areas who need hand protection also need ANSI Z89.1-compliant hard hats; see our 1910.135 reference guide
• High-visibility apparel (ANSI 107) — outdoor and vehicle-traffic industrial environments require hi-vis clothing alongside task-specific hand protection

Frequently Asked Questions — OSHA 29 CFR 1910.138

Why Trust WC Safety?

WC Safety has supplied personal protective equipment to industrial facilities, contractors, municipalities, and safety professionals since 2012. Our editorial team reviews OSHA regulatory text, enforcement guidance, and ANSI/ISEA standards to produce compliance guides that are accurate, actionable, and independent.

Methodology

This reference guide was developed by reviewing the full regulatory text of 29 CFR 1910.138, 29 CFR 1910.132 (the parent PPE standard for Subpart I), OSHA's enforcement Field Operations Manual, ANSI/ISEA 105-2016, ANSI/ISEA 138-2019, and OSHA penalty adjustment data (2026 figures). Chemical resistance pairings reflect industry-standard manufacturer guidance and ASTM permeation data. All penalty figures reflect the current OSHA inflation-adjusted schedule — verify current figures at OSHA.gov, as adjustments occur annually in January.