Construction Safety

Personal protective equipment (PPE) hazards are addressed in specific standards for the construction industry.

OSHA Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, Federal Register notices (rules and proposed rules), directives (instruction to OSHA staff), and letters of interpretation (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to PPE in the construction industry.

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart C, General safety and health provisions
  • 1926.28, Personal protective equipment
• 1926 Subpart E, Personal protective and life saving equipment
  • 1926.95, Criteria for personal protective equipment
  • 1926.96, Occupational foot protection
  • 1926.100, Head protection
  • 1926.101, Hearing protection
  • 1926.102, Eye and face protection
  • 1926.103, Respiratory protection
  • 1926.104, Safety belts, lifelines, and lanyards
  • 1926.105, Safety nets
  • 1926.106, Working over or near water
  • 1926.107, Definitions applicable to this subpart
• 1926 Subpart M, Fall protection [related topic page]
  • 1926.500, Scope, application, and definitions applicable to this subpart
  • 1926.501, Duty to have fall protection
  • 1926.502, Fall protection systems criteria and practices
  • 1926.503, Training requirements
• 1926 Subpart P, Excavations [related topic page]
  • 1926.651, Specific excavation requirements
  • 1926.652, Requirements for protective systems

Federal Register Notices

Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment; Final Rule. Final Rules 72:64341-64430, (November 15, 2007). Stipulates that the employer must pay for required PPE, except in the limited cases specified in the standard. Safety-toe protective footwear and prescription safety glasses were excepted from the employer payment requirement, in large part because these items were considered to be very personal in nature and were often worn off the jobsite.

Directives

Inspection Procedures for 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1926.65, Paragraph (q): Emergency Response to Hazardous Substance Releases. CPL 02-02-073, (August 27, 2007). Updates enforcement procedures for compliance officers who need to conduct inspections of emergency response operations. It defines additional terms and expands on training requirements for emergency responders and other groups such as skilled support personnel. This OSHA instruction revises CPL 02-02-059, issued April 24, 1998.

Letters of Interpretation

• Requirements for carrying and stacking lumber with nails. (January 25, 2006).
• General Duty Clause (5(a)(1)) citations on multi-employer worksites;NFPA 70E electrical safety requirements and personal protective equipment. (July 25, 2003). Discusses the relevance of NFPA 70E industry consensus standard to OSHA requirements.
• Citations for the wearing of short pants by employees engaged in hot tar and asphalt construction work. (April 17, 1997).
• Clarification of 1926.28(a) as to whether an orange vest constitutes personal protective equipment. (July 23, 1984). Reconsiders whether orange vests are personal protective equipment within the meaning of 29 CFR 1926.28(a).
  

Hazards and Solutions

• Nail Gun Safety. OSHA, (2013).
• Women in the Construction Workplace: Providing Equitable Safety and Health Protection. OSHA and the Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (ACCSH), (June 1999). Contains a section on PPE. Describes difficulties women have in finding properly fitting PPE when working in construction occupations.
• Worker Safety Series – Construction. OSHA Publication 3252, (2005).
  

Additional Resources

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

Construction Industry

Training

Personal Protective Equipment Training Guide. Labor Occupational Health Program, UC Berkeley via Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety & Health (elcosh), (June 1994). Provides a training guide for PPE use in the construction industry.

Other Resources

• Drilled Shaft Installation Safety Tips for the Employer and Employee. OSHA and the ADSC: International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC) Alliance. Describes general safety tips to help prevent injuries and illnesses in the drilled shaft foundation industry.
• Working Safely During Installation of Drilled Shaft Foundations. OSHA and the ADSC: International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC) Alliance. Identifies hazards associated with the installation of drilled shaft foundations and safe work practices to help reduce or eliminate the risk of injuries or illnesses.