If the PPE fits, it’s because it is supposed to
I don’t know that I’d run across this much over the last little while (I can see where it might have been more prevalent in healthcare during the early Wild West days of the pandemic), but apparently there have been enough issues relating to ill-fitting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as it relates to construction activities for the folks at OSHA to issue a new rule. The summary of the new rule goes a little something like this: “OSHA is finalizing a revision to its personal protective equipment standard for construction to explicitly require that the equipment must fit properly.”
As a person of somewhat overly generous proportions, I can absolutely appreciate the need for ensuring that not only the appropriate type of PPE be available, but also available in a range of sizes to provide appropriate protection to folks. Ill-fitting PPE can even create additional hazards—too big and one risks being caught in machinery; too small and you run the risk of folks not wearing PPE because it is uncomfortable.
My first reaction was that you would (or I would, I suppose I can only speak for myself) think common sense would prevail in such matters, but I guess sense is less common than it used to be. At any rate, the new rule is effective 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register, which happened on December 12, 2024, so the clock is ticking. I suppose where this might cross into healthcare is when we’re doing rounds on construction projects in our facilities and making sure that there are no additional risks to be found when it comes to PPE. The primary “job” of PPE is to provide appropriate protections to workers, so let’s make sure workers of all sizes (and shapes) are protected.
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Chartis Group. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is an advisory board member for Accreditation and Quality Compliance Center. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.