Don’t Miss OSHA’s New PPE Rule!

On December 11, 2024, the United States Department of Labor announced that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has finalized a revision to the personal protective equipment (PPE) standard for construction. The final rule explicitly requires the equipment to properly fit any construction worker who needs it to protect against hazardous conditions. This change helps to protect everyone since one size does not always fit all.

In the past, it was a common occurrence for exceptionally large or small people to be given PPE that did not fit them. This problem ranged from gloves, safety vests, respirators, and safety glasses to fall protection. But if someone raised a concern, the answer they were often given was that there was none available at the jobsite in their size, or they were told to make it work.

However, those responses are not a solution, and as everyone knows, PPE must fit properly if it is to work. Based on input from numerous stakeholders in response to a previously issued Request for Information (RFI), OSHA decided that the language regarding PPE standards in the construction industry should be amended to more accurately reflect the needs of a changing workforce, notably, that more women are in construction jobs than in previous decades and need PPE that fits them.

After a prolonged period of questions and comments, the rule was finalized. This rule change is the result of agreements between employers and unions in response to OSHA’s efforts to make it clear that employers must provide the right PPE for each worker who needs it and that PPE must be appropriate for the type of work and fit properly. This change aligns OSHA’s construction industry standard for PPE (29 CFR 1926.95(c)) with the standard already in place for general industry.

Many different types of PPE must be sized to fit an individual worker. When PPE does not fit an individual properly, it may cause the equipment to be ineffective in providing protection to the worker. That could create new hazards when using equipment like respirators, fall protection, or gloves. For example, ill-fitting protective clothing can become caught in machinery or cause other hazards and may discourage workers from using it because of the poor fit. If a worker will not wear PPE because it does not fit them properly and they view it as more dangerous to use, then the PPE is not protecting anyone.

With women entering the construction industry in increasing numbers, equipment manufacturers are responding by offering extended sizes of many different types of PPE. If you need help sourcing smaller or larger sizes, a company like Thomaston Safety Group may be able to help. In addition to providing organizations with a wide variety of PPE, they also offer more inclusive sizes.

Walden can help your organization stay ahead of this and other legislation impacting worker safety. If you would like to ensure your staff is safety trained, Walden staff is authorized by OSHA to perform outreach training for both construction and general industry. Contact our EHS team at 516-789-2972 to learn more.

If you’re interested in reading further about PPE in construction, click the link below.

Department of Labor finalizes rule on proper fit requirements for personal protective equipment in construction | OSHA.gov | Occupational Safety and Health Administration