The Supreme Court has ruled that companies must pay plant workers for the time it takes to change into protective clothing and safety gear and walk to their work stations. The decision that employers must pay wages for the donning of "integral" gear and the time it takes workers to then walk to the production area is considered a defeat for business. However, workers cannot demand payment for time spent waiting in line for equipment and safety gear when they first arrive for work.
See "Justices Back Paying Workers as They Suit Up", Associated Press, The New York Times, November 7, 2005