PPE that fits and bathrooms on site: what you're owed

Your employer has to give you personal protective equipment that actually fits, and they have to provide clean, accessible toilets, either separated by sex or single-occupancy with a lock on the inside. Both are legal duties under OSHA, not favors. And if you are pregnant, federal law now requires reasonable accommodations so you can keep working safely. Gear that does not fit and a site with no decent bathroom are two of the biggest reasons women walk away from the trades, and both are things you are entitled to have fixed.‍‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍

Why PPE that doesn't fit is a safety problem, not a comfort one

Most PPE is designed around an average male body, which turns into a genuine hazard when it does not fit you. A hard hat that tips forward blocks your view. A harness with a chest strap never designed for your frame will not sit right in a fall. Gloves too big to grip cost you control of the tool. And work boots are so often unavailable in women's sizes that people get forced into ill-fitting men's ones that cause fatigue, blisters, slips, and falls.

This is documented, not anecdotal. UK surveys illustrate the scale of it: a 2024 survey cited by CIPHE found only about 26% of women reported well-fitting PPE compared with about 60% of men, and 42% said theirs was too big and admitted modifying it, which itself breaks safety rules. A separate TUC survey found 57% of women said ill-fitting PPE affected their work. Solid nationwide US data on tradeswomen's PPE fit is thin, but the physics does not change at the border. Gear that does not fit does not protect you.

The law: PPE has to be "adequate," and adequate means it fits

OSHA requires employers to provide PPE and requires that PPE to be adequate (29 CFR 1910.132). There is no federal rule that spells out women's sizes specifically, but gear that does not fit is not adequate, and the employer's general duty to provide a safe workplace covers the gap. "We only stock men's sizes" and "there's nothing in your size" are not defenses to a citation.

Good practice, which any decent employer should already follow, looks like this:

• Stock the real range. Hard hats, gloves, hi-vis, safety boots, and harnesses in women's sizing, not just the smallest men's items.
• Do not substitute down. A small men's chest harness or hip belt is proportioned wrong, not just smaller.
• Allow fitting time before work starts, not as an afterthought.

For most required PPE the employer also has to pay for it, with a few narrow exceptions. See PPE: who pays for it.

What to ask your employer for, in writing

Make the request specific and put it in writing so there is a record: name the gear and the size you need, and keep a copy. Frame it as their duty, because it is. If it gets brushed off, raise it with the site's safety officer or competent person. If it still is not fixed, you can file a complaint with OSHA, and you are protected from retaliation for doing so. Working without fall protection or a respirator that actually fits is a real hazard, not a personality clash. See Your rights on an unsafe site.

Bathrooms and washing: what OSHA requires on a construction site

OSHA's construction sanitation standard (29 CFR 1926.51) sets the minimums. As of 2026 the toilet ratios are:

• 20 or fewer workers: at least 1 toilet.
• 20 or more workers: 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers.
• 200 or more workers: 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers.

The rules that hit women hardest:

• Separate facilities for men and women, unless the units are single-occupancy and lock from the inside, in which case one unit counts for everyone.
• Units must lock from the inside.
• Facilities within about a 10-minute walk of where you are actually working. A single portable unit parked at the far end of a big or multi-story site may not comply.
• Handwashing with soap and running water wherever a water supply is available on site. Hand sanitizer alone does not satisfy OSHA when there is water to be had.

Beyond the legal floor, the industry best-practice standard (ANSI/PSAI Z4.3-2016, which is guidance, not federal law) recommends roughly 1 toilet per 10 workers per gender, serviced weekly, with sanitary bins and disposal. Those are not OSHA minimums, but they are normal on a well-run site and reasonable to expect.

Pregnancy on site: what you can ask for

Two federal laws back you up. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, part of Title VII, bars an employer from treating you worse because you are pregnant. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), in effect since 2023, goes further: employers with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions unless doing so is a genuine undue hardship.

On a site, that can mean lighter duty, more frequent breaks, a stool, extra water, time off for appointments, or reassignment away from certain hazards like silica, lead, or solvents. You request it, and the employer has to actually engage with the request, not just say no. Separately, the PUMP Act requires reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space to pump for nursing mothers. Let your doctor make the medical calls, and route any state pregnancy-leave specifics to Working in Your State.

Common questions

Does my employer have to pay for PPE that fits me?

For most required PPE, yes. OSHA makes the employer pay for the protective equipment the job requires, and that gear has to be adequate, which means it has to fit. A few personal items, like ordinary steel-toe boots you can wear off the job, have exceptions. "There's nothing in your size" is not a lawful reason to hand you gear that does not fit. Ask in writing for correct sizing, and see PPE: who pays for it.

Can a site make women and men share the same portable toilet?

Only if the units are single-occupancy and lock from the inside, in which case one unit can serve everyone. Otherwise OSHA requires separate facilities for men and women. Toilets also have to lock from the inside, sit within about a 10-minute walk of the work area, and come with handwashing (soap and running water) wherever a water supply is available on site.

How many toilets does OSHA require on a job site?

Under OSHA's construction sanitation rule, a site with 20 or fewer workers needs at least one toilet. At 20 or more workers it is one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers, and at 200 or more it is one per 50. Those are the federal minimums for 2026, so verify the current standard at osha.gov. Industry best practice is more generous, at roughly one toilet per 10 workers per gender.

Can I be forced off the job because I'm pregnant?

No, not automatically. Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, an employer with 15 or more employees has to work with you on reasonable accommodations so you can keep doing your job safely, rather than just pushing you off it. They can only refuse if it is a genuine undue hardship. If you want to keep working and can do so with an adjustment, that is your call to raise, backed by your doctor's guidance.

What can I do if my boss won't give me PPE that fits?

Put the request in writing and keep a copy, so there is a record. Point out that adequate, properly fitting PPE is the employer's duty under OSHA. Raise it with the site's safety officer or competent person. If it still is not fixed, you can file a complaint with OSHA, and you are protected from retaliation for doing so. Ill-fitting fall protection or a respirator that leaks is a real hazard, so do not let it slide.

The honest bit

• The OSHA sanitation minimums (29 CFR 1926.51) and the PPE adequacy duty (29 CFR 1910.132) are federal and current for 2026. Verify at osha.gov.
• The PPE-fit satisfaction figures here come from UK surveys and are illustrative. Solid nationwide US data on tradeswomen's PPE fit is a known gap. The safety point holds regardless of the source.
• The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and PUMP Act are federal. Verify current terms at eeoc.gov. Some states add their own pregnancy accommodation and leave rules, so confirm those in Working in Your State.
• This is general guidance, not legal or medical advice. For pregnancy and hazardous exposures, follow your doctor.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.

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