PPE is evolving. We have to keep up.
Some earbuds are designed to work as hearing protection—but they can still introduce distraction. You’ve probably heard safety pros say, “earbuds aren’t hearing protection.” But tech moves fast. Now, at least two companies make Bluetooth earbuds that actually meet ANSI S3.19‑1974 hearing‑protection standards. So if you call someone out for not wearing proper hearing protection and they insist their earbuds are rated, they might be right.
Still, having hearing‑protection earbuds isn’t a free pass to blast music on the job. Loud audio is distracting, and the irony of using hearing protection as a way to damage your hearing is, well, pretty silly.
Make sure that your crew is wearing PPE that fits them. One of the big issues with PPE is how poorly it works for smaller people. In recent years, companies that produce PPE and workwear have been expanding their lines to fit a wider range of body shapes and sizes. A 5-foot-tall woman with a narrow face needs the same level of respiratory protection as her 6-foot-2 male co-worker—but standard respirators don’t often seal properly on smaller faces. To address this, some companies now produce respirators with smaller facepieces and more adjustable designs to help ensure a proper fit and a reliable seal.
Make sure your crew is wearing their PPE correctly. Because PPE is the last line of defense, anyone who can’t or won’t wear it in a way that provides the required level of protection—whether due to fit, facial hair, or head coverings—must be kept away from the hazard. OSHA requires employers to ensure that PPE fits, functions, and provides the protection it’s supposed to. So if someone on your crew can’t achieve a proper respirator fit or seal because of a beard, for example, you should look for an alternative form of protection, such as a loose‑fitting hood, or move the worker to a task where a respirator isn’t required. The obligation is on the employer to keep the worker safe, not to rely on PPE that won’t work or allow someone into a hazardous area unprotected. Note that OSHA doesn’t waive PPE requirements for religious practices, medical conditions, or personal preferences—the required protection still has to fit, seal, and function.
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