The final rule updates the PPE standard for construction (29 CFR 1926.95(c)) and adds language requiring that employers provide PPE that properly fits construction industry workers. The change aligns the construction standard with the standard already in place for several other industries, OSHA said in its statement.

The statement also said improperly sized PPE, which includes everything from high-visibility vests, gloves, harnesses to tie in when working at height or even head-protecting helmets, can be ineffective in protecting workers and can create new hazards for the worker—such as oversized gloves or protective clothing being caught in machinery, for example—and can discourage use because of discomfort or poor fit. OSHA said the matter has been a longstanding industry safety concern, particularly among women as well as among physically smaller or larger workers.

With more women joining contractors' workforces in recent years, unisex PPE, or ones designed specifically for men, has been a hazard previously covered by ENR.

“If someone doesn’t feel safe or doesn’t have the tools or equipment they need to do their job, it’s going to be very difficult to keep them engaged and feel like they’re going to succeed on the jobsite,” Allison Scott, director, Autodesk Construction Solutions said in 2019. “We think there’s an opportunity here to talk about safety, and specifically safety equipment for women.”

The construction software company previously partnered with the Associated General Contractors to create a grant program to provide AGC members with funding to purchase safety harnesses suitable for women.