OSHA Finalizes Rule on Proper Fit Requirements for PPE
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has finalized a revision to the PPE standard for construction workers.
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| Under new OSHA standards, construction firms must provide proper fitting PPE to all workers that need it. |
The final rule explicitly requires the equipment to properly fit any construction worker who needs it, improving protection from hazardous conditions.
“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 Doug Parker, assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health “PPE must fit properly to work.”
He was 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.
According to OSHA, many types of personal protective equipment must be sized to fit a worker properly. Improperly sized PPE can be ineffective in protecting workers, creating new hazards for the worker, such as oversized gloves or protective clothing being caught in machinery. Poorly sized PPE may also discourage use because of discomfort or poor fit.
The matter has been a longstanding industry safety concern, particularly among some women as well as among physically smaller or larger workers.
The revision to the standard adds specific language requiring that employers provide PPE that properly fits construction industry workers. It aligns the construction industry standard with the standard already in place for general industry.
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