Ill-fitting personal protective equipment is not only damaging for morale but also potentially dangerous. Women must have the items they need to do their jobs effectively
One of the biggest issues in the field of personal protective equipment (PPE) is the need to ensure women receive properly fitting and tailored equipment, rather than relying on generic stock designed for men.
It’s an area that’s gaining traction and the message seems to be getting through. 82 per cent of respondents to the 2024 Health & Safety Report, produced by RS in association with HSM, believe more needs to be done to ensure PPE is suitable for women. And with women accounting for at least 40 per cent of the workforce in one in four organisations that responded, there is good reason why this issue is on the agenda.
Yet, only one per cent of people who purchase PPE list the need for women’s PPE as an important factor when buying items. Much of this is likely down to cost, with 11 per cent identifying product cost as the main consideration when buying items.
Katherine Evans, mining geologist and founder of the female support network Bold as Brass, has made it her mission to raise awareness of the topic.
The emphasis on price over fit, with lower unit costs often being a result of buying in bulk, is all too familiar to her. “The bulk-buying side of it is difficult because people aren’t average and it’s supposed to be personal,” she said. “That’s the first P of PPE. PPE is treated like a commodity, not lifesaving equipment.”
Areas of concern
Priorities when buying PPE for women are identified in the survey as safety footwear, workwear and high-visibility clothing. But Evans said the issue extends much further. “It starts from the head and goes down to the toes.
“This includes hard-hats which need room for afro hairstyles, dreadlocks or ponytails; glasses and ear plugs, which generally need to be smaller for women; trousers; gloves and shoes.
“Shoes need to be fitted for women. There are many issues that come from having a bad pair of shoes, from backache to migraines. Glasses need to be shaped accordingly for different ethnicities. Women of Asian heritage struggle will with glasses made to fit a Caucasian man.” Evans said.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) work with Katy Robinson, a construction project manager and founder of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Yorkshire group. Last year, the group launched a campaign on women and PPE, to raise awareness of women’s PPE available on the market.
Dr Karen McDonnell, Occupational Health and Safety Policy Adviser at RoSPA, said conversations with Robinson revealed that, while women’s PPE is on the market, nearly 60 per cent of UK employers do not offer this to staff, with similar experiences found in the US, Canada and Australia. “Organisations should be carrying out person-centred risk assessments for each employee carrying out activities that require PPE, said Dr McDonnell.
“This should not be limited to employees’ inductions, but instead an ongoing and regularly updated process. To put it simply, PPE should protect.”
Taking action
Customers need to be clear about what they require, said Evans. “Businesses need to speak to the end-users, she says.
“From there, they need to combine that with risk assessments and feedback to their chosen distributor, or look for a new tender and write into it that they require inclusive PPE. A distributor is not going to stick on an extra quotation for women’s requirements if it hasn’t been expressed in the tender document.”
Dr McDonnell said: “If PPE is not a good fit, irrespective of who it’s for, it’s not going to be used,”
“That puts people at risk, which is unacceptable. PPE must account for safety as well as comfort. We want to raise awareness among workers, employers and regulators and encourage PPE producers to innovate and address gender inequality.”
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