Pay for wearing required safety equipment

[AT]

I am required to wear a "Uniform and Safety Equipment" during my normal work day. I must put on my hard hat, ear plugs, safety glasses, steel toed or composite toed safety boots/shoes, flaslight, valve wrench, rags, radio, etc. in addition to the uniform that the company supplies. Should the company be paying us for the time we spend putting on all of these items that are required by the company? We need to get to the locker room/break area 10-15 minutes before shift starts in order to put on all of the required items.

 

[buddy2bear]

"Clothes-Changing and Wash-Up Time. Time spent by employees in changing clothes or washing up at the beginning or end of the workday is considered part of their 'principal activities' whenever the changing or washing is required by the nature of the workers' jobs. In Steiner v. Mitchell, 350 US 247, 12 WH Cases 750 (1956), the Supreme Court found that clothes-changing and showering time were compensable as an integral and indispensable part of the principal activies for which the workers were employed. The same is true where the clothes-changing or washing is required by the employer's rules or by a statute or ordinance. HOWEVER (emphasis added), if employees elect to do such required changing or washing at home, the time spent need not be counted as hours worked."