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Washington — The International Safety Equipment Association is calling on the Trump administration to exempt personal protective equipment, safety equipment and other “critical components” from tariffs announced on or after April 2.
“The association’s message is simple: protecting workers protects America,” the Arlington, VA-based organization, which represents PPE manufacturers, says in a Nov. 10 press release. “Ensuring access to affordable, high-quality PPE should be a shared goal for industry, labor and government alike.”
The call came on the same day ISEA released a report titled, The Hidden Costs of PPE Tariffs: The Impacts of Tariff-Induced PPE Price Spikes on Worker Safety and U.S. Economic Strength. In it, the association contends that the tariffs will increase PPE costs and result in three options for many organizations: raise prices, cut their workforce and/or reduce investments in safety equipment.
“The last option – cutting PPE spending – is the most dangerous of all,” ISEA says. “The United States already bears an annual cost of $176.5 billion from workplace injuries and fatalities. Even a small drop in PPE use could have devastating human and economic consequences.
“According to the report, ‘If worker injuries increase by just a single percentage point as a result of these changes, over 40,000 American workers will be injured on the job, costing the American economy $1.8 billion.’”
ISEA President and CEO Cam Mackey added: “When tariffs make it harder to afford quality protective gear that keeps workers safe, everyone pays the price. This isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting the people who make America run – the workers building the infrastructure that keeps our cities moving, manufacturing the machinery that defends our nation, powering the energy systems that drive our economy – and caring for our families.
“Ensuring their safety should be a national priority.”
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication