It may seem obvious that for personal protective equipment to work, it must be properly fitted for the individual wearing it. However, last week the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking addressing PPE fit for the construction industry. OSHA determined that while the general industry and maritime PPE standards require that protective equipment be fitted for the specific worker, this requirement does not appear in the construction industry PPE rule.

OSHA stated that improperly fitted PPE can reduce or eliminate the protection offered by these measures. The agency noted that some PPE is not sized appropriately for female construction workers, creating concerns over its effectiveness. OSHA is accepting comments on the proposal through September 18. It is unlikely that the proposal will face resistance from the construction industry. Construction industry employers that do not already include fit testing as part of their PPE process may want to add this step even prior to the effective date of any final OSHA rule.

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