The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration finalized a revision to the personal protective equipment standard for construction.
The final rule requires the equipment to properly fit any construction worker who needs it. This will help improve protection from hazardous conditions, a news release stated.
“I’ve talked to workers in construction, particularly women, who have spoken of personal protective equipment that didn’t fit or was simply unavailable at the jobsite in their size,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “PPE must fit properly to work. I’m proud of the broad support from both employers and unions for OSHA’s efforts to make clear that employers must provide the right PPE for each worker who needs it.”
The revision requires that employers provide PPE that properly fits construction industry workers. The change aligns the construction industry standard with the standard already in place for the general industry.
OHSA advises that many types of personal protective equipment must be sized to fit a worker properly.
“Improperly sized PPE can be ineffective in protecting workers; create new hazards for the worker, such as oversized gloves or protective clothing being caught in machinery; and discourage use because of discomfort or poor fit,” a news release stated. “The matter has been a longstanding industry safety concern, particularly among some women as well as among physically smaller or larger workers.”
Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
