OSHA Updates PPE Fit Requirements for Construction Workers

Safety
Published
Contact: Brad Mannion
[email protected]
Director, Labor, Health & Safety
(202) 266-8265

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today published a final rule revising its personal protective equipment (PPE) fit requirements for the construction industry. The revised standard will go into effect on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.

According to a DOL news release, the revision to the standard adds specific language requiring that employers provide PPE that “properly fits” construction industry workers, and the change aligns the construction industry standard with the standard already in place for general industry.

The news release also states this matter has been a longstanding industry safety concernparticularly among some women and physically smaller or larger workersas improperly sized PPE can be ineffective in protecting workers, create new hazards for the worker, and discourage use because of discomfort or poor fit.

NAHB joined the Construction Industry Safety Coalition in submitting comments when OSHA first proposed the change in 2023, seeking clarification on how the agency intends to enforce the proposed changes and calling for additional guidance, as well as clearer definitions of such terms as “appropriate size,” “provides necessary protection” and PPE creating “additional safety and health hazards.”

NAHB and OSHA have multiple resources to help employers and employees understand the importance and proper use of PPE, including:

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Sustainability and Green Building

Apr 30, 2025

NAHB Mourns Passing of Member Kim Shanahan

NAHB mourns the passing of Kim Shanahan, who played an integral role in the Sustainability & Green Building Subcommittee and Healthier Homes and Communities Subcommittee.

Awards | Sustainability and Green Building

Apr 30, 2025

Global Innovation Home of the Year Brings Wellness to Production Home Design

ERTH360, a home design and architecture firm based in Ontario, has spent years focused on bringing wellness concepts to production home design. Its design won the Gold award for GIA Global Innovation Home of Year at NAHB’s The Nationals for 2024.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Apr 30, 2025

U.S. Economy Contracted in First Quarter of 2025

The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter of 2025 for the first time in three years, driven by a sharp surge in pre-tariff imports, softening consumer spending, and a decline in government spending.

Economics

Apr 30, 2025

House Sharing is Not Just for Young Adults

A record-high 6.8 million households shared their housing with unrelated housemates, roommates or boarders in 2023. While college-age and young adults make up the largest subset of house sharers (close to 41%), this type of living arrangement is gaining popularity among older householders fastest, with the 55+ segment accounting for 30% of all house-sharing households in 2023.

Economics

Apr 29, 2025

Jobs Openings Fall as Economy Slows

Consistent with soft sentiment data, the count of job openings for the overall economy and construction fell in March as employers slowed hiring plans amid a broader economic slowdown, per the March Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).