On July 19th, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify the personal protective equipment standard for the construction industry. According to OSHA, the current standard does not state clearly that PPE must fit each affected employee properly, which the OSHA’s general industry and maritime standards do. The proposed change would clarify that PPE must fit each employee properly to protect them from occupational hazards. OSHA justified the rulemaking by stating that the failure of standard-sized PPE to protect physically smaller construction workers properly, as well as problems with access to properly fitting PPE, have long been safety and health concerns in the construction industry, especially for some women. The proposed rule clarifies the existing requirement, and OSHA does not expect the change will increase employers’ costs or compliance burdens. The proposed revision would align the language in OSHA’s PPE standard for construction with standards for general industry and maritime.
