Are Silicone Rings OSHA Approved?

Many people who work in dangerous workplaces that have restrictions on whether and what type of jewelry you can wear have switched out their metal wedding bands or diamond rings for silicone wedding rings. If you’re considering switching out your wedding ring for a silicone alternative, you may be wondering if they are OSHA approved.

About OSHA

OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and it’s the federal body that regulates workplace safety. They provide rules to employers (and employees in some cases) about what activities, equipment, and standards are required to keep workers safe. Employers that fail to abide by OSHA regulations can be subjected to fines and other penalties; employees that fail to abide by the same regulations are often at risk of have their employment terminated.

OSHA Apparel Regulations

While they do have a section of the OSHA handbook that provides some guidelines for apparel safety, including jewelry, there are no specific items of clothing or jewelry that are “OSHA approved.” Rather than identify specific items that people can or cannot wear by law, OSHA offers recommendations on how to stay safe and what should be worn in a workplace and enforcement options for employers who are concerned with safety:

Paragraph 1910.269(l)(6) “Apparel. (i) When work is performed within reaching distance of exposed energized parts of equipment, the employer shall ensure that each employee removes or renders nonconductive all exposed conductive articles, such as key or watch chains, rings, or wrist watches or bands, unless such articles do not increase the hazards associated with contact with the energized parts.”

Conductive articles of clothing or jewelry, identified by OSHA as things like as watches, bracelets, rings, necklaces, metal aprons, and metal headgear, should not be worn in a workplace where there is a risk of electrocution. Another safety concern that is not specifically addressed in the OSHA guidelines is the risk of ring avulsion injuries, which occur when a ring or other object gets caught on equipment, heavy machinery, or just the edge of a table or countertop or something similar, and is forcefully pulled from your finger. The result is significant damage to your finger tissue and possibly even amputation.

Silicone rings, while not specifically OSHA approved, are recognized as a safe alternative to metal rings in workplaces where there is a risk of electrocution or a heightened risk of ring avulsion injuries. These rings, made of a soft, flexible silicone rubber, are non-conductive and can break if they are exposed to extreme force. Ultimately that means they won’t cause electric shocks and they won’t result in ring avulsion injuries.

Check out the selection of silicone rings available at Enso Rings today if you work in a place where traditional metal rings are not allowed and get a wedding band you can wear at work.