The US Department of Labor announced on December 11 that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has completed a review of the personal protective equipment standard for construction. The final rule explicitly requires that the equipment properly fit any construction worker who needs it as protection against hazardous conditions.
“I’ve talked to construction workers, especially women, who have talked about personal protective equipment that didn’t fit or was simply not available on the job site in their size,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker in a statement. . “PPE must fit properly for work. I am proud of the broad support from both employers and unions for OSHA’s efforts to make it clear that employers must provide the right PPE for every worker who need”.
The final rule updates the PPE standard for construction (29 CFR 1926.95(c)) and adds language requiring employers to provide PPE that properly fits workers in the construction industry. The change aligns the construction standard with the standard already in place for several other industries, OSHA said in its statement.
The statement also said that improperly sized PPE, which includes everything from high-visibility vests, gloves, head harnesses or even head protection helmets, can be ineffective in protecting workers and may create new hazards for the worker such as large. gloves or protective clothing that catch on machinery, for example, and may discourage use due to discomfort or poor fit. OSHA said the matter has been a long-standing industry safety concern, particularly among women, as well as younger and older workers.
With more women joining the contractor workforce in recent years, unisex PPE, or PPE designed specifically for men, has been a hazard that was previously covered by ENR.
“If someone doesn’t feel confident or doesn’t have the tools or equipment they need to do their job, it’s going to be very difficult to keep them engaged and feeling like they’re going to be successful in the workplace,” Allison says. Scott, director of Autodesk Construction Solutions, said in 2019. “We think there’s an opportunity here to talk about safety, and specifically safety equipment for women.”
The construction software company previously partnered with the Associated General Contractors to create a grant program to provide AGC members with funds to purchase appropriate safety harnesses for women.
