OSHA finalizes rule addressing PPE fit issues in construction

Washington — An OSHA final rule that requires personal protective equipment in the construction industry to properly fit each worker will go into effect Jan. 11.

Set to be published Dec. 12, the regulation aligns 1926.95 with PPE fit requirements in OSHA’s general industry and maritime standards. For example, 1910.132(d)(1)(iii) requires employers to “select PPE that properly fits each affected employee.”

At present, 1926.95(c) requires PPE only to “be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed.”

“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,” OSHA says in a Dec. 11 press release. “The matter has been a long-standing industry safety concern, particularly among some women as well as among physically smaller or larger workers.”

OSHA published its proposed rule on the forthcoming requirements in July 2023. The agency doesn’t expect the change to “increase employers’ costs or compliance burdens.”

“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,” OSHA leader Doug Parker said in the release. “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.”