Providing Safety and Comfort to Construction Workers

In 2020, the construction industry accounted for 46.1 percent of all fatal falls, slips, and trips, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Within private construction, nonfatal injuries and illnesses resulting from falls, slips, and trips occurred at 31.4 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2020. These sobering numbers highlight the need for safety precautions for construction workers.  

What are some innovative ways manufacturers are working to improve safety gear in the construction industry? That’s what Greg Crumpton of the Straight Outta Crumpton podcast wanted to know. 

Pete Zeppetella, CEO of Zepp’s Gear, is a carpenter by trade. He hails from Ontario, Canada, and his carpenter background takes him back thirty years. A fall on a job site a few years ago, utilizing what he thought was a safe harness jacket, set Zeppetella on a new path—to create a harness jacket that could provide workers with comfort and mobility while giving what they ultimately need, protection. 

“I started this business because on a job site a little while ago, I had another jacket on from another company that had a slip for your harness, and I thought, this is great,” Zeppetella said. “You can move; you can work better, more mobility. But when I slipped and fell, the jacket had nowhere to go, so I just caught my neck. I got lucky. I grabbed the standard as fast as I could, I climbed up, and I was like, what just happened?” 

Unable to find a suitable solution, Zeppetella took it upon himself to create one. 

During Crumpton’s discussion with Zeppetella, the two speak about:

• The process of designing and manufacturing a new safety harness 
• The importance of having a safety jacket with a flap on the back 
• Creating a safe construction atmosphere while maintaining the business side 
• Making the construction industry better through new safety products 

“I want to take Zepp’s Gear to the next level,” Zeppetella said. “I want to be the Under Armor of construction. I want to make stuff for people that actually work that people will be safer using and feel more comfortable doing the job. If I can make them more comfortable, they can focus on the task at hand.” 

Peter Zeppetella is a journeyman carpenter with years of experience working on scaffolds. Zeppetella’s work on many high-profile jobs led him to create Zepp’s Gear, the only work gear that safely allows the harness to be worn beneath the jacket comfortably with no restrictions.