Switching to pink doesn’t mean it fits

Switching to pink doesn’t mean it fits

Get details on OSHA’s new rule requiring PPE properly fit all workers

Colleen Gemmill

Colleen Gemmill has heard the same complaints about ill-fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) since she joined the family business in 2020 and added sales of safety apparel and traffic control products to D.E. Gemmill Inc.’s pavement marking and traffic control services.

Women would tell her they couldn’t find safety vests small enough and that excess fabric could get caught in machinery. They also told her fingers on gloves were often too long, causing them to drop equipment or decide it was too much hassle to wear them.

In response, the company launched a business to address women’s concerns.

ATSSA’s Women in Roadway Safety Council shares the concern.

“We have spoken about it at our meetings several times and will continue to have it as a topic as we find solutions,” said Gemmill, who chairs the council. “When gear doesn’t fit properly it becomes a safety hazard.”

Now OSHA requires employers to provide properly fitting PPE for men and women.

Read the full details about PPE and more in the latest issue of Roadway Safety, online now.