NIOSH to host Equitable PPE Protections Workshop in November

Washington — Equitable personal protective equipment protections for all U.S. workers will be the topic of an upcoming NIOSH virtual workshop, slated for Nov. 8-9.

Led by the agency’s Personal Protective Technology Program, the event will address prominent issues – such as availability, accessibility, acceptability and knowledge – related to underserved user groups. Those groups, the agency says, include workers of atypical size as well as those who perform nontraditional work activities; are members of subdisciplines that aren’t the focus of current PPE activities within their larger field; or are members of a gender, racial, ethnic or linguistic minority group.

The workshop will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern each day with the goals of:

• Announcing NIOSH’s commitment to a national strategy for equitable PPE protections for all U.S. workers.
• Sharing information to confirm and identify underserved user populations and discuss the challenges to equitable protections across industries.
• Discussing and identifying policy, market dynamics and research/knowledge gaps related to equitable PPE protections.
• Announcing future partnership opportunities.

Day 1 will focus on NIOSH’s ongoing activities aimed at offering equitable PPE protections nationwide. Day 2 will feature facilitated discussion groups with a focus on equitable PPE needs and challenges in various industries.

Registration is required to attend both sessions.