During its subcommittee meeting on October 19, 2023, the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety & Health (FACOSH) discussed Type II head protection. FACOSH is a Presidential advisory body to the Secretary of Labor. Hard hats have a Type I or Type II rating on the manufacturer’s sticker. These markings are based on ANSI Z89.1’s impact ratings.

Type I hard hats protect from objects or impacts from the top center area of the hard hat and are often used in work areas with no lateral head impact hazards. Type II head protection, on the other hand, offers protection from both top and lateral impacts and objects and is often found on construction jobsites or complex general industry settings where workers face multiple head contact exposures. Recognizing the increased protection of Type II head protection, many contractors started requiring their workers to wear them during 2023.

Heat is the leading weather-related killer, becoming more dangerous as 18 of the last 19 years were the hottest. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that from 2011 to 2019 (7 years), environmental heat cases resulted in an average of 38 fatalities per year and an average of 2,700 cases with days away from work. Heat-stress prevention PPE includes:

• Loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts or pants,

• Hard hats with a wide brim,

• Shaded safety glasses,

• Cooling vests,

• Cooling towels, and

• Cooling bandanas.

OSHA doesn’t have a heat-specific standard—yet! Continuing its multi-year efforts so far, OSHA furthered its rulemaking efforts on June 20, 2023, by initiating Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) meetings. In this process, OSHA presents to the small entity representatives (SERs) the actual proposed regulatory text for the first time. Meetings concluded on November 3, 2023. The Agency’s efforts to address heat stress will continue into 2024.

A leading consensus standard on worker electrical protection, NFPA 70E-2024, was published on May 13, 2023. Among several PPE-related updates, the definition protector was added—“A glove or mitten to be worn over rubber insulating gloves.” NFPA states, “It has been revised for clarity since the term leather or nonleather is overly broad.”

Properly rated protectors, like leather gloves, are worn over rubber gloves to help prevent punctures, cuts, and abrasions to the rubber lining that create a source of exposure to electrical hazards. Leather gloves aren’t rated for protection from electrical shock.

As we close another year, manufacturers continue to enhance PPE to provide more solutions to employers as they have in the past, such as with hand protection and adaptive grip technology, using synthetic materials designed with enhanced performance, and higher levels of cut resistance. 2024 is bound to bring another slew of updates to the PPE landscape. Stay tuned!