By KERRY L. SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE
The U.S. Dept. of Labor is working to clarify standards for personal protective equipment – PPE – to make sure smaller construction workers are adequately protected.
The current standard, according to Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker, doesn’t clearly state that PPE must fit each affected employee properly. The proposed change, he says would clarify that PPE must fit each employee properly to protect them from occupational hazards.
“For some time now, the failure of standard-sized personal protective equipment to protect smaller construction workers properly has been a concern,” Parker said. “Access to properly fitting PPE has also been a concern in the construction industry, particularly for many women. If personal protective equipment does not fit properly, a worker may be unprotected or dangerously exposed to hazards and face tragic consequences.”
Individuals are encouraged to submit comments and hearing requests online by Sept. 18 by using the Federal eRulemaking Portal and reference Docket No. OSHA-2019-0003.
You might be interested in
