&#; 10 min read
By
Anthresia McWashington
Reviewed by
Abby Ferri
Last Updated Sep 1,
By
Anthresia McWashington
Anthresia McWashington
Content Manager
14 articles
Anthresia McWashington is a Content Manager at Procore. She previously worked as an editor and reporter for Gulf Energy Information and Houston Media Group. She earned her BA in Communications and Journalism from the University of Houston. Anthresia loves track & field and practicing her French. She lives in Houston.
View profileReviewed By
Abby Ferri
Abby Ferri
As the Chief Risk Officer at Insurate, Abby Ferri has over 20 years of experience providing practical, creative, and innovative risk and safety management solutions for many industries. From construction to healthcare and everything in between - Abby is a valuable asset in all areas of worker safety and health. Some notable moments in her illustrious career include leading the ASSP/ISEA technical report committee establishing guidelines for the fit and selection of PPE for women, establishing safety education for construction management students at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, leading the ASSP's Women in Safety Excellence common interest group, and receiving multiple awards including the International Safety Equipment Association&#;s Distinguished Service Award and ASSP&#;s Safety Professional of the Year. Other accomplishments under her belt include speaking at conferences throughout the US and global events virtually, founding and co-hosting the global top 200 podcast &#;Safety Justice League,&#; and leading several initiatives to increase girls&#; interest in trades and EHS careers.
Last Updated Sep 1,
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is one of the cornerstones of construction work. It helps protect workers from various hazards that they may encounter on the job, including falling objects, exposure to harmful chemicals, electrical hazards, and more.
However, simply wearing PPE is not enough. It must be properly fitted in order to provide necessary protection for construction workers. Construction companies and employees should be knowledgeable about how to use and wear PPE correctly. In this article, we&#;ll explore PPE requirements for industry workers and the importance of properly fitted protective equipment for construction workers with varying body types.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers are responsible for requiring workers to wear the appropriate PPE in all operations where there is exposure to hazardous conditions or where specific OSHA standards require PPE to reduce hazards to workers.
While Standard 29 CFR .28(a) states that employers are responsible for requiring their workers to wear appropriate PPE to protect them against certain hazards in the workplace, OSHA&#;s general industry regulations do not specifically address this issue as it applies to the construction industry.
There are, however, specific OSHA standards to address the protection of construction workers&#; feet, head, hearing, eyes, and face, as well as standards specific to respiratory protection, fall protection, working over or near water, and working in and around excavations.
Additionally, OSHA mandates that all PPE must meet or be equivalent to standards developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Employers are required to train each worker required to use PPE to know the following: when PPE is necessary, what type of equipment is necessary, how to properly wear and adjust the equipment, how to understand the equipment&#;s limitations, and the proper ways to care for, maintain, and dispose of the equipment.
It&#;s important for employers to use OSHA standards for PPE as a baseline for their protective equipment, but implementing additional requirements can be beneficial. It is common for construction project owners, general contractors, and specialty trades to have their own PPE requirements for site personnel, and their own employees, that exceed the minimum OSHA standards.
Check out the Top OSHA Violations in Construction for .
There are several different types of PPE used to help keep construction workers safe from specific hazards while on the job. In order for the equipment to be fully effective, however, it must be properly fitted to each employee.
In this excerpt from Procore's Safety Qualified course, learn how to properly size and fit PPE.If PPE is too loose, it may fall off or shift during work, leaving workers exposed to hazards. If it is too tight, it may cause discomfort or even restrict movement, making it difficult for workers to perform their jobs safely and to satisfaction.
Below are some examples of common types of PPE and how they protect workers from onsite hazards.
According to OSHA, any construction workers who are vulnerable to head injury from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns, must wear protective helmets while on the job.
Hard hats help to protect against common head injuries. If a hard hat is too loose or not properly secured, it may not provide the necessary protection needed to prevent injuries. The hard hat could fall off exposing workers to falling objects. However, if the hard hat is too tight, it may cause discomfort or even headaches.
Unlock your career potential with our free educational courses on Health & Safety, Data in Construction, and more.
Learn MoreEmployers must ensure that workers use appropriate eye or face protection, including side protection such as clip-on or slide-on side shields, to prevent exposure to flying debris, splash from liquid chemicals, and other hazardous materials.
If a construction worker&#;s eye protection isn&#;t fitted properly to their face, it could lead to serious injuries. Ill-fitting glasses may slip down the nose or fog up, while tight glasses may cause discomfort or even pain.
Workers could be subject to sharp particles entering their eye, gas exposure, or even loss of an eyeball. Because of this, OSHA requires PPE training for construction workers to be aware of potential hazards and know how to correctly put on their gear.
When noise levels can&#;t be reduced below specified levels, ear protection must be provided to ensure protection for workers.
Earplugs or earmuffs are often worn to protect workers from loud noises on construction sites. Devices worn in-ear must be fitted properly. If not, these items may not provide enough protection. Loose earplugs may fall out, while tight ones may cause discomfort or even ear infections.
See the table below for permissible noise levels, and the amount of hours that OSHA allows workers to be exposed to them without hearing protection.
Duration per day (hours)Sound level dBA slow response. minutes minutes or less115Learn more about protecting workers and reducing construction noise pollution.
Respiratory protection reduces worker exposure to harmful chemicals, dust, and other respiratory hazards. However, if a respirator is not properly fitted, it may not provide adequate protection. A loose respirator may not create a proper seal, while a tight one may cause discomfort or even breathing difficulties.
Gloves are an important piece of PPE for construction workers, as they protect against cuts, abrasions, and other hand injuries. However, if gloves are not properly fitted, they may not provide adequate protection. Loose gloves may fall off or snag on equipment, while tight gloves may cause discomfort or even restrict movement.
Protective footwear must be worn in areas where falling or rolling items, sharp or sole-piercing objects, or electrical hazards are present. Additionally, workers&#; feet and legs must be protected in case of explosions, static electricity, and exposure to hot substances or corrosive materials.
OSHA mandates that all foot protection for construction workers meet the ASTM International&#;s standards under test methods for foot protection and specification for performance requirements for protective toe cap footwear.
According to OSHA, hand contact is one of the main risks of dermal exposure to hazards. Similar to the requirements for hand protection, workers should wear gloves that are appropriate for the scope of work being performed.
For example, welders or iron workers may need gloves with thermal protection to keep their hands and arms safe from materials used at extremely hot temperatures.
Falls are the leading cause of accidents (and OSHA violations) on construction jobsites. Construction workers performing work on leading edges (or walking or working near an unprotected edge) six feet or more above ground must use fall protection, including guardrail systems, safety net systems, or by wearing personal fall arrest systems.
Fall arrest systems include anchorage connectors, a harness, and either a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or a combination of the three. Because these systems distribute impact through workers&#; thighs and buttocks, they should be adjusted to fit securely each time they&#;re put on to help keep workers stable in case a fall occurs.
Electrical hazards are a common risk on construction sites. In order to protect workers from shock or other injuries due to these risks, proper protective equipment needs to be provided. OSHA&#;s guidelines define the specific rubber insulating blankets, rubber insulating matting, rubber insulating covers, rubber insulating line hose, rubber insulating gloves, and rubber insulating sleeves that workers should wear.
PPE for electrical contractors includes head-to-toe equipment that can minimize exposure to arc flash, shock, burns, and other electrical-related dangers.
Struck-by hazards are among the most common causes of accidents in and around construction sites. This risk can often be mitigated by improving the visibility of workers to vehicle drivers and equipment operators.
OSHA requires work areas to be illuminated for safety and visibility. But construction workers &#; especially those working alongside or near roads and highways &#; can still be difficult to spot by motorists if they aren&#;t wearing high-visibility clothing.
OSHA standards require these employees to wear high-visibility garments in two specific circumstances:
When they work as flaggers
When they are exposed to public vehicular traffic near excavations
Other construction workers in these areas should adhere to OSHA&#;s General Duty Clause, which requires protection for workers against recognized hazards that could cause serious injury or death.
In addition to federal regulations, OSHA also has state-specific requirements for 22 states in the U.S. Construction firms should be familiar with both local and national mandates in order to remain compliant and increase safety precautions for their employees.
Since the OSHA Health and Safety of Women in Construction report of , and even in publications before it in the s, women in the trades have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of options for properly fitting PPE.
Lack of communication and understanding of the needs of women and minorities in the construction industry has given employers, PPE manufacturers, and suppliers a false sense of what is actually needed by workers. Due to this, these underrepresented people groups are still experiencing the same lack of available PPE that they were subjected to in the above report.
A BMG Global Health study revealed that respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is designed for the facial dimensions of Caucasian white males. This places Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women at higher risk due to ill-fitting masks worn during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly in construction, PPE designed to fit Caucasian male body types may have to be altered by women in the industry in order to get a proper fit and ensure their safety while working on jobsites.
For example, hard hats designed for low-cut or sleek hairstyles make it difficult for textured hair types, or women who wear religious coverings to wear them correctly. PPE for women should adhere to body measurement data to ensure proper fit. If the equipment does not fit or is damaged, the employer should provide a suitable replacement.
Additionally, phases of life changes such as pregnancy, post-partum, and menopause can also alter the need for the fit of workers&#; PPE. Offering PPE with adjustable features such as high-visibility vests with velcro fastening may help pregnant people who are experiencing expansion in the midsection. Including stretch elastic waistbands and multiple ways to adjust PPE not only meets the needs of pregnant and postpartum workers, but also those undergoing medical treatments, recovering from surgery, experiencing weight gain or loss, or other health concerns.
Providing opportunities for women in construction to evaluate and provide feedback on PPE to inform personal protection equipment suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers of their actual needs is necessary in order for women to receive more efficient protective equipment.
Construction workers need access to properly fitted PPE that is suitable for diverse body types. Although this need is inching closer to becoming an industry standard, there are still many hurdles before this practice becomes the norm.
Employees should have equipment that can be adjusted or tailored to fit their bodies, including any changes their bodies may undergo due to weight fluctuation, health changes, or pregnancies. It is also important for protective equipment manufacturers and construction companies to provide opportunities for workers to give feedback on their PPE needs.
The one-size-fits-all approach is not only impractical, but it also significantly compromises the protective quality of the equipment, exposing workers to unnecessary risks.
Employers should commit to providing PPE that accommodates all body types across varying genders, races, and other differing factors among workers. These efforts help make it possible for all workers to perform their duties safely and efficiently.
For additional information, and best practices on providing efficient protective equipment for construction workers, check out Procore&#;s Safety Qualified course: Suiting Up for Safety - A Guide to Meeting the PPE Needs of a Diverse Workforce.
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Written by
Anthresia McWashington
14 articles
Anthresia McWashington is a Content Manager at Procore. She previously worked as an editor and reporter for Gulf Energy Information and Houston Media Group. She earned her BA in Communications and Journalism from the University of Houston. Anthresia loves track & field and practicing her French. She lives in Houston.
View profileReviewed by
Link to Wei Guang
Abby Ferri
As the Chief Risk Officer at Insurate, Abby Ferri has over 20 years of experience providing practical, creative, and innovative risk and safety management solutions for many industries. From construction to healthcare and everything in between - Abby is a valuable asset in all areas of worker safety and health. Some notable moments in her illustrious career include leading the ASSP/ISEA technical report committee establishing guidelines for the fit and selection of PPE for women, establishing safety education for construction management students at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, leading the ASSP's Women in Safety Excellence common interest group, and receiving multiple awards including the International Safety Equipment Association&#;s Distinguished Service Award and ASSP&#;s Safety Professional of the Year. Other accomplishments under her belt include speaking at conferences throughout the US and global events virtually, founding and co-hosting the global top 200 podcast &#;Safety Justice League,&#; and leading several initiatives to increase girls&#; interest in trades and EHS careers.
Personal protective equipment is the cornerstone of successful construction work. When contractors supply their workers with personal protective equipment, they keep them safe from life-threatening hazards.
On the other hand, failure to comply with PPE safety requirements will disrupt your construction operations and put your workers at risk.
After reading this article, you&#;ll understand what the essential pieces of PPE are and how they contribute to a safer and more productive construction site. Let&#;s get started.
Hard HelmetsWhen we think about construction sites, hard helmets are often the first thing that comes to mind.
There is a good reason why hard helmets are synonymous with construction sites. They play a crucial role in preventing workers from suffering severe injuries to the head, concussions, as well as bone and spine fractures.
Are you aware that the construction industry has the highest occurrence of traumatic brain injuries of all occupations?
According to a scientific study published by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, roughly 25% of construction fatalities were due to brain injuries.
When a person falls and hits the side of their head, the impact produces rotational acceleration, the leading cause of concussions on worksites. One more study of brain injuries found that about 15% of Swedish and 27% of German contractors suffered concussions.
It&#;s safe to assume that concussions are unfortunately common in the worksite, and without hard helmets to absorb the force of the impact, there would be more head injuries.
And how much do head injuries cost laborers and their companies?
According to the CDC, the workers who do not need physical therapy after sustaining a head injury still have an average medical cost of $17 893.
A mild traumatic brain injury that requires rehabilitation efforts costs $85 000 on average. If the brain injury is severe, the costs can ramp up to $3 million.
Providing your construction workers with quality hard helmets is an absolute necessity.
Safety GlovesConstruction is hard manual labor, so safety gloves are critically important for protecting the hands of your workers.
As part of their job, contractors often work in high-risk situations where they can easily suffer serious injury if they&#;re not provided with protection for their hands.
Have a look at the data from the Energy Workforce report.
The numbers are thought-provoking, to say the least.
Around 20% of disabling workplace injuries involve hands. That&#;s one in five work-related injuries.
To make things more serious, 30% of those were caused by workers wearing the wrong type of protective gloves. If the workers had been provided with PPE gloves fit for a particular task, the number of disabling injuries could have been reduced.
Naturally, contractors work with many rough and hazardous materials that require delicate handling. Different site operations require specific safety gloves.
For example, this is how a contact injury from working with chemicals looks like.
Contact injuries like these happen when contractors are not provided with safety gloves resistant to chemical burns.
High-Visibility VestsHigh-visibility vests are a mandatory piece of PPE on construction sites where workers have to be spotted easily.
As you know, construction work also includes conducting repairs on bridges and roads alongside inbound traffic. If the drivers are unable to see the construction workers on time, a moving car can hit a contractor on the scene and cause a fatal accident.
However, when contractors wear high-visibility vests, they are noticeable even during nighttime construction.
In fact, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommend using high-visibility vests for productive and safe nighttime construction work.
High-visibility vests must provide a 360° full-body coverage, so workers are visible in all viewing directions.
Color stripes on visibility vests are in contrast to the background colors to make the wearer stand out even more. In addition, visibility vests are covered with a fluorescent material, which is particularly useful when it&#;s dark.
High-visibility vests significantly reduce the likelihood of accidents and contribute to safety in construction.
Safety EyewearThe workers&#; eyes are highly vulnerable during an array of contracting activities. Therefore, if they are not appropriately protected with safety eyewear, there is a risk of potentially disabling injuries.
According to OSHA&#;s PPE standard annual training program, 90% of eye injuries could be prevented with suitable eyewear. Workers in construction can injure their eyes with airborne chemicals, debris, dust, and forceful impact.
So, wearing safety eyewear directly contributes to preventing vision impairment.
Anne Summers, an ophthalmologist and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), said that it takes surprisingly very little effort to protect a person from worksite hazards that can cause an injury that leads to blindness.
She also urges workers and employers not to drop their guard when it comes to eye protection.
Of course, the safety eyewear workers need depends on the specific hazards they face.
We can single out 3 different types:
Non-specialized safety eyewear is very affordable, starting at prices as low as $10. With that in mind, there&#;s no point in exposing workers and their employers to unnecessary risks.
There are many things at the construction site that can cause serious injuries unless the workers are provided with adequate foot protection.
Foot protection is an essential piece of personal protective equipment designed to shield the workers&#; feet from injuries that stem from the poor footing or other causes.
Proper footwear is a significant factor in the safety of construction sites.
First, it provides protection from crush injuries. Construction material and other heavy objects can easily drop during transport and fall on the workers&#; feet. Therefore, their shoes are plated to prevent crushing injuries.
Second, such footwear protects workers from slipping and falling. As you can imagine, slips are common at sites with difficult working conditions, which is why the soles of the workers&#; shoes also include an anti-slip grip.
It&#;s important to note that the rubber sole also keeps workers safe from floor electrocution.
And finally, adequate foot support keeps workers from straining their muscles and developing poor posture in the long run.
Safety HarnessSafety harnesses (or safety belts) are life-saving pieces of personal protection equipment. They&#;re designed to keep workers from falling when contractors are completing tasks in heightened areas.
Site employees working at over 6.5 ft of height are required to wear a safety harness. Safety harnesses are strong enough to carry lb of weight, making them more than adequate to prevent fully-equipped workers from falling.
Unfortunately, one-third of construction site fatalities were a direct result of falls from great heights. According to OSHA, these deaths would have been entirely preventable had there been adequate PPE available.
Safety harnesses are essential because falls from height are more likely to be life-threatening than other types of worksite accidents.
A construction site accident usually affects a single part of the body, while falls damage multiple body parts and vital organs.
To make things worse, not providing contractors with fall protection remains the most frequent violation of safety standards, according to Dillon Holewinski, a strategic risk advisor for construction industries.
Hearing ProtectionIf you don&#;t provide your site workers with hearing protection, they can develop long-term hearing loss.
It goes without saying that construction sites are some of the loudest workplaces out there. Heavy machinery makes a lot of noise, and working close to it can have a negative effect. Many contractors are struggling with hearing damage because of it.
A study published by the CDC has revealed that 23% of US workers that are occupationally exposed to loud noise developed hearing difficulties afterward.
To make matters worse, another 15% of workers develop tinnitus. Tinnitus causes a person to hear ringing in their ears, without the noise being caused by an external sound.
Keep in mind that hearing damage is irreversible. It occurs when workers experience long-term exposure to the noise around 85 decibels for 8 hours. In addition, for every 3-decibel increase, hearing loss occurs in half the time.
So if the noise level is over 91 decibels, hearing damage can occur in 2 hours.
To put these numbers into perspective, an electric drill registers about 95 decibels of noise. Just think about how much noise the rest of your heavy construction equipment is making.
Elizabeth Masterson, the study&#;s co-author, has stated that hearing loss is entirely preventable if the workers are provided with proper hearing protection. Providing your workers with noise-canceling headphones or earplugs will keep their hearing intact.
RespiratorsConstruction sites often have compromised air that&#;s not safe for breathing.
There are too many construction operations to count involving dust, carbon monoxide, fumes, or hazardous gasses. If workers are not provided with adequate protection, they&#;re bound to develop respiratory issues and potentially life-threatening illnesses.
Take silica dust, for instance. Silica dust is a small particle found in a wide array of construction materials, such as cement, steel, clay, or sand.
Workers release and breathe it during high-energy operations. However, doing so leads to developing progressive lung disease, kidney failure, or lung cancer.
Unfortunately, 8 out of 10 workers have been exposed to silica dust work in the construction industry. To keep workers safe, contracting organizations have to provide them with proper respirators.
There are 2 different types of respirators that are utilized alongside reusable half-masks.
Filtering facepiece respirators are made from filter material covering the worker&#;s mouth and nose, and they filter the particles from the air they&#;re breathing in. They are more suitable for mild construction operations and filter out 67% of dust the worker breathes in.
Powered air-purifying respirators are powered by a battery and they cleanse 99.97% of the air. They are the most effective respirators available and protect contractors from breathing in silica dust or other substances during operations on hazardous sites.
Depending on the specifics of the construction sites, organizations can use either one of them.
Wearable Protection TechThankfully, the construction industry is ripe with innovative tech solutions that make construction sites a safer place to work.
Wearable protection tech monitors the vital signs of the contractors so that construction site supervisors know where the employees are and what their current health condition is.
If it picks up on any irregularities or signs of a potential site accident, the tech immediately requests emergency help. Providing medical attention on time can be the deciding factor in a life or death situation.
A report by the US Chamber of Commerce discovered that as much as 83% of contractors believe wearable technology will improve safety on construction sites.
There appears to be a widespread consensus among the construction industry that wearables are the way to go.
The same report estimates that 23% of construction companies will use wearable tech by the end of . That&#;s almost four times as much as in , when only 6% of organizations used such technology.
Popular examples of PPE wearable tech include:
It&#;s safe to say that wearable protection technology will become an essential part of personal protection equipment in the coming years.
Specialized Protective ClothingIt&#;s also important to note that, besides your usual PPE, construction sites can have particular operations that require specialized equipment.
For instance, if construction workers complete tasks in environments where electrical or fire injuries are possible, providing them with flame-resistant clothing will significantly improve their personal safety.
Or, if your workers use equipment that uses laser technology, such as laser levels, you should provide specialized eyewear that matches the power and frequency of the beam and protects the wearer from irradiation.
Depending on the specifics of your construction operations, you should re-evaluate your practices with a construction site safety manager and identify which tasks require specialized protective clothing.
Providing your employees with specialized PPE for specific tasks will improve their safety and ensure that your worksite is in compliance with necessary regulations.
ConclusionPersonal protective equipment will remain an integral part of construction site safety. As time moves on, industry professionals will find new ways to protect themselves from safety hazards prone to the construction industry.
Until then, it&#;s up to contractors to make sure every piece of PPC equipment is in place.
A fair question to ask is: how does your construction company stand with personal protective equipment?
If you want to ensure your workers are protected from all hazards, evaluate your PPE inventory and find adequate solutions to keep them safe.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Work Safety Gear.