Construction employers must now ensure safety gear actually fits workers

The US Labor Department just updated its safety rules for construction sites. All personal protective equipment, like hard hats and gloves, must now explicitly fit each worker properly.

Construction companies previously had a general duty to provide safety gear. Now, they have a specific, enforceable duty to ensure that gear fits each worker. This means employers might need to stock more sizes or types of equipment, and workers can more easily report ill-fitting gear as a safety violation.