Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is any device or item designed to protect the worker against accidents or illness caused by agents in the working environment: hard hats, gloves, boots, respirators, face shields and harnesses, among others. In México, NOM-017-STPS-2024 is the standard that sets out how to select, use and manage PPE correctly in any workplace, within the framework of construction safety. Complying with it not only prevents accidents, it also creates safer and more responsible working environments.
NOM-017-STPS-2024 replaces the 2008 version
The PPE standard was updated recently. NOM-017-STPS-2024 was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on 28 March 2025 and came into force six months later, on 28 September 2025. From that date NOM-017-STPS-2008 ceased to have effect, so any procedure, form or training material that still cites it is out of date.
The most relevant changes for a construction site are these:
- The risk analysis by role and area must be recorded with a minimum content and updated whenever work processes change.
- PPE is framed as a temporary, complementary or backup measure alongside other safety measures, not as the first barrier.
- Training must be both theoretical and practical, given before work starts and reinforced at least every two years.
- PPE must be available for visitors and for emergency response, and the employer must check that specialist contractors' personnel use it too.
- Records are required of equipment issue and replacement and, for equipment that needs maintenance, also of its inspection, cleaning, storage and final disposal.
The purpose of NOM-017-STPS-2024
The standard sets the minimum requirements for the selection, use and management of the PPE provided to workers, in order to prevent occupational accidents and illness. That selection must always be based on the specific risks of each role, not on a generic criterion applied uniformly across the whole site.
Who does this standard apply to?
NOM-017-STPS-2024 applies to all workplaces on national territory where PPE is needed to protect workers from the risks of their activities. It is therefore mandatory in practically every industry, including construction at every stage.
On site it works together with NOM-031-STPS-2011, the standard specific to construction. NOM-031 requires the site's risks to be analyzed and the basic and activity-specific PPE to be selected; NOM-017 establishes how to select it, issue it, train people in its use and follow it up. Standards such as NOM-009-STPS-2011 (work at height) or NOM-033-STPS-2015 (confined spaces) add the PPE requirements particular to those activities.
The employer's main obligations under NOM-017-STPS-2024
The standard sets clear responsibilities for employers. These are the most important ones.
1. Identify and analyze the risks by role and area. The employer must record the risks workers are exposed to: physical (noise, vibration, extreme temperatures, electrical risk), mechanical, chemical and biological. The record also covers the activities and roles assessed, the part of the body exposed, who must receive PPE, and the name and signature of whoever carried out the analysis, and it is updated whenever equipment or work processes change.
2. Determine the appropriate protective equipment. On the basis of that analysis, the employer defines the PPE for each role. To do so they can draw on the tables in Appendix I of the standard, which are indicative and link each part of the body with the equipment and the type of risk it covers.
3. Provide PPE that meets the necessary requirements. The equipment must protect against the type and degree of risk, fit the worker and be compatible with other devices they use (prescription glasses, hearing aids, prostheses), and it must be for personal use: gloves, footwear, masks, earplugs and protective clothing are not shared. Where a product standard exists, as is the case for hard hats, safety footwear and particulate respirators, the equipment must be certified.
4. Train the worker in the correct use of PPE. Training combines theoretical instruction and practical exercises, is given before new personnel start work and is reinforced at least every two years, or sooner if the equipment or working conditions change. It must be recorded with the name and role of each worker, the date, the topics and the instructor.
5. Supervise the use of PPE during the working day. The employer must verify that workers use their equipment whenever their activities require it, including the personnel of specialist contractors working on the site.
6. Signpost and provide PPE for visitors and emergencies. Areas where PPE is mandatory are signposted in accordance with NOM-026-STPS-2008, and equipment must be available for suppliers, inspectors or supervisors entering them, as well as for emergency response.
7. Keep records of the equipment. For disposable PPE it is enough to record issue and replacement; for equipment that needs maintenance, also its inspection, cleaning, maintenance, storage and final disposal. Records are kept for at least one year.
Workers' obligations. The standard also sets responsibilities for personnel: taking part in training, using and looking after PPE in line with the instructions, checking its condition before starting the shift (and during and at the end of the day where required) and reporting when it no longer provides adequate protection.
Types of Personal Protective Equipment under Appendix I
A summary of the types of PPE by part of the body set out in Table I.1 of the standard:
Head protection: impact-resistant hard hats, dielectric hard hats (class G up to 2,200 V and class E up to 20,000 V) and hoods.
Eyes and face: safety glasses and goggles, face shields, visors and welding goggles.
Hearing: earplugs and ear defenders.
Respiratory system: particulate respirators, gas and vapor respirators, and self-contained or supplied-air breathing apparatus.
Upper limbs: gloves against chemical substances and biological agents, dielectric gloves, gloves against fire and extreme temperatures, gloves against mechanical agents (cuts, abrasion, puncture) and sleeves.
Torso: clothing or aprons against fire or high temperatures, clothing against chemical substances, overalls, coats and encapsulating suits against hazardous substances.
Lower limbs: occupational footwear, footwear with a toe cap, dielectric footwear, footwear with metatarsal protection, puncture-resistant, antistatic and chemical-resistant footwear, gaiters and waterproof boots.
Other equipment: fall protection equipment, essential for work at height and for entering confined spaces, equipment for emergency teams and gas detectors.
A practical example: applying NOM-017-STPS-2024 to a bricklayer on site
To make the standard concrete, here is a routine case: a bricklayer who is going to build a block wall on the second floor of a house. During the day they mix mortar, cut blocks with a cut-off saw and work from a scaffold. This is how the employer's obligations would apply, step by step.
Step 1: Identify the risks of each activity
The site engineer or safety officer breaks down what the bricklayer actually does on that work face and what risk each task creates:
| Activity | Risk | Part of the body to protect |
|---|---|---|
| Working from a scaffold on the second floor | Fall from height and objects falling from above | Head and whole body |
| Mixing and applying mortar | Contact with cement (skin irritation and burns), splashes | Hands, eyes |
| Cutting block with a cut-off saw | Flying particles, dust and high noise levels | Eyes and face, airways, hearing |
| Carrying and laying block | Impacts, cuts, blocks falling on the feet | Hands, feet |
Step 2: Select the PPE using Appendix I
With that analysis, the bricklayer's PPE for this task comes out as: an impact-resistant hard hat with chinstrap, safety glasses (or a face shield when using the saw), earplugs or ear defenders while cutting, a particulate respirator while cutting block, gloves resistant to abrasion and to cement, footwear with a toe cap, and fall protection. On this last point NOM-009-STPS-2011 governs: the scaffold must have a guardrail from 1.8 m upwards, and if a tower scaffold exceeds 3.5 m, a full body harness with lifeline is mandatory.
Note that not all the PPE is worn all day: the respirator and hearing protection are mandatory while operating the saw, not while rendering. Documenting which PPE goes with which activity avoids both a lack of protection and the worker's resistance to wearing equipment they do not need at that moment.
Step 3: Issue the equipment and record it
Before starting, the bricklayer is issued their PPE for personal use, in the right size (above all gloves, footwear and harness), together with the manufacturer's instructions. The issue is recorded with the date, the type of equipment, the name and signature of the worker receiving it and the name and signature of whoever issued it.
Step 4: Train them in its correct use
A short, practical training session on the work face itself: how to adjust the harness and where to anchor it, how to check the seal on the respirator, why fabric gloves are no use against wet cement, and how to request a replacement for damaged equipment. It is also recorded with the worker's name and role, the date, the topics and the instructor, and reinforced at least every two years, or sooner if the equipment changes.
Step 5: Supervise during the working day
The supervisor checks PPE use at different points in the day, not only at the start. If they notice the bricklayer cutting block without glasses, or a cracked hard hat, they correct it there and then and replace the equipment. At the end of the shift, the worker inspects their PPE and reports any damage.
With this process, the site not only complies with NOM-017-STPS-2024: it holds the evidence (risk analysis, issue record and training certificate) that would be requested during an STPS inspection.
Safe working conditions: the complement to PPE
PPE on its own is not enough. For real safety it has to be combined with adequate conditions within the workplace: signage in accordance with NOM-026-STPS, preventive maintenance of machinery, tidy and clean areas, clear safety procedures, and continuous training. When all these elements work together, accidents fall and the preventive culture grows stronger.
Common mistakes when applying NOM-017-STPS
Buying the same type of PPE for every role, without differentiating by risk. A generic glove does not protect against a corrosive chemical the way it protects against a mechanical impact; the tables in Appendix I exist precisely to avoid this generalization.
Issuing PPE without training on its correct use. A poorly adjusted harness or a badly fitted respirator gives a false sense of protection, and can fail at exactly the moment it is needed.
Not following up on the condition of the equipment issued. PPE wears out with use; without an inspection and replacement program, equipment that has stopped serving its protective purpose stays on site.
Carrying on with forms and procedures from NOM-017-STPS-2008. The 2008 standard ceased to have effect on 28 September 2025. A risk analysis or a training program that cites it as its reference is out of date in the eyes of an inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Is NOM-017-STPS-2008 still in force?
No. Since 28 September 2025 the standard in force has been NOM-017-STPS-2024, published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on 28 March 2025. The 2008 version ceased to have effect on that date.
What happens if a worker refuses to use the PPE provided?
Using PPE is a worker's obligation under NOM-017-STPS-2024, not an optional decision. The employer must keep a record of the training given and of the equipment issued; a worker's failure to comply may lead to whatever internal sanctions the company's regulations provide for.
How often should PPE be replaced?
It depends on the type of equipment and its use. NOM-017-STPS-2024 requires the company's procedures, based on the manufacturer's information, to state when PPE should be discarded and replaced: when it shows faults, damage or wear that cannot be repaired, when it reaches the end of its service life or expiry date, or when its protective characteristics have been affected by an incident such as an impact or an electric shock. In those cases it is replaced immediately, without waiting for a scheduled date.
Does NOM-017-STPS-2024 only apply to construction?
No. It applies to all workplaces in México where there is a risk requiring PPE, whatever the sector. In construction it also works alongside standards specific to the activity, such as NOM-031-STPS-2011.
Conclusion
NOM-017-STPS-2024 is the mandatory guide for selecting, using and maintaining personal protective equipment correctly. Complying with it does not only avoid penalties: it protects workers' wellbeing and improves productivity by reducing avoidable accidents. Book a Trowel demo and digitize the follow-up of PPE and training on your site.
