September 15, 2023

SWACCA and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) submitted a joint comment letter supporting the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule to specifically require that the personal protective equipment (PPE) construction employers are required to provide properly fits workers. In the letter, SWACCA and IUPAT explain that to address the shortage of skilled construction workers, they seek to “welcome and encourage all Americans to bring their energy, talent, and commitment to our industry” and note that ensuring that workers have properly fitting PPE is essential to “diversifying the construction workforce to provide opportunities to women and others who may have previously been excluded or, at least, not encouraged to be part of the construction trades.” The joint comment letter notes that the proposed rule does not alter when or what type of PPE construction employers must provide.  It also highlights that the “proper fit” concept being incorporated into the PPE in construction standard is already part of OSHA’s longstanding PPE standards for general industry and maritime. In the proposed rule, OSHA commits to applying the “proper fit” concept to construction the same way it has applied it for decades to general industry and maritime employers, ensuring that there is a body of clear interpretative guidance and precedents. The full letter is available here.

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