John Ho was quoted in a SHRM article discussing the recent revisions to OSHA's personal protective equipment (PPE) standard for construction workers, effective January 13. The final rule requires PPE to fit properly to ensure workers' safety and prevent injuries, emphasizing that properly fitting gear does not pose additional safety or health risks from being too small or too large. These revisions aim to address the high number of fatalities in the construction industry, particularly from falls, slips, and trips, and to ensure PPE is available in appropriate sizes for all workers.

John emphasized, “Ultimately, I think employers just need to continue using common sense when providing PPE to make sure there’s a proper fit." He added that while the new rule doesn’t require a "competent person" to verify the fit, employers must take employee complaints about ill-fitting gear seriously. With penalties for noncompliance set to increase on January 16, employers are encouraged to audit their PPE inventory and ensure proper sizing for all employees. John also suggested, “Employers just need to review their practices for issuing PPE to make sure they document that the PPE is properly fitting, and potentially have employees sign off that the PPE is properly fitting.”

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