Employers will be required to pay the cost of personal protective equipment for their workers under a final rule issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The agency estimates that the rule will result in 21,000 fewer on-the-job injuries every year.

OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke Jr. said workers are less likely to purchase the right equipment or buy it at all if they have to pay for it. Employers now pay about 95 percent of the cost of personal protective equipment, he said.

Making them pick up the remaining 5 percent of the tab will cost employers a total of $85 million, OSHA estimates.

The rule applies only to personal protective equipment needed to comply with OSHA standards.

For more information, see www.osha.gov.