Home »

New Final Rule on PPE Use Protects West Coast Construction Workers

Industrial Hygiene Testing Services

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	2/14/2025
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	New Final Rule on PPE Use Protects West Coast Construction Workers
Introduction	LA Testing provides industrial hygiene and environmental, health, and safety (EHS) testing services, sampling supplies, air monitoring instruments, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard workers.
Huntington Beach, California, February 14, 2025 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced it had finalized a revision to the personal protective equipment standard for construction. The final rule went into effect on January 13 of this year and requires all PPE to properly fit any construction worker who needs it. According to OSHA: Many types of personal protective equipment must be sized to fit a worker properly. Improperly sized PPE can be ineffective in protecting workers; create new hazards for the worker, such as oversized gloves or protective clothing being caught in machinery; and discourage use because of discomfort or poor fit. The matter has been a longstanding industry safety concern, particularly among some women as well as among physically smaller or larger workers. “In the Golden State, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) is one of 29 OSHA-approved State Plans that are required to have standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as OSHA's and may have different or more stringent requirements,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “The change to the construction standard aligns it with the existing OSHA standard for general industry. For the almost one million construction workers in California, not to mention the hundreds of thousands in neighboring states, this is great news.” The environmental, health, and safety professionals at LA Testing are also here to help safeguard construction workers. In addition to offering industrial hygiene testing services, sampling supplies, and monitoring instruments, LA Testing carries a wide range of personal protective equipment, including respirators, filters, and fit testing supplies. They also provide gloves, protective suits, containment equipment, air scrubbers, and other tools to protect workers and to help keep construction companies in regulatory compliance. For access to personal protective equipment and other EHS resources, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com, or call (800) 755-1794. About LA Testing LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for environmental and indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, bacteria, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.