NIOSH Releases Proceedings of 2022 Equitable PPE Workshop

NIOSH has published the proceedings of the Equitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Protections Workshop (PDF), which was held virtually on Nov. 8 and 9, 2022. According to NIOSH’s webpage for the workshop, it was part of the agency’s ongoing effort to develop a national strategy for equitable PPE. The workshop focused on equitable use, availability, accessibility, acceptability, and knowledge of PPE for underserved user groups. These may include workers of atypical size and members of gender, racial, ethnic, or linguistic minorities.  

Workshop participants provided insights on a range of topics from standards development to PPE design approaches. The proceedings summarize the main points of the workshop activities, and this information “can be used by PPE selectors, users, purchasers, and manufacturers as well as by organizations that provide training, knowledge development, or advocacy for these populations such as professional societies and unions,” according to the document’s abstract. At the end of the workshop, NIOSH announced the formation of the Equitable PPE Protections Partnership, which will bring together parties interested in contributing to NIOSH’s national strategy for equitable PPE. 

A PDF of the proceedings may be downloaded from NIOSH’s website. The agency also provides access to recordings of workshop keynotes, presentations, and panel discussions.