As typically ‘male-dominated’ fields such as construction become more diverse, the lack of inclusive personal protective equipment becomes more apparent.
For women, ill-fitting PPE comes with discomfort, reduced ability to do their jobs, and a number of safety risks.
Why is PPE for women important?
PPE is important as it acts as that last line of defence in the event of coming into contact with a hazard. PPE is always meant to be the last resort but items such as gloves help with a lot of daily hazards.
One thing to keep in mind is: PPE only works if it fits right! Gloves that are too big may mean they get caught during work, boots that are too tight or too big may cause people to trip, twist an ankle or develop nasty blisters that stop people from working. Hi-Viz vests that are too big could get caught on equipment around site.
Problems like this can be found across the PPE sector as up until fairly recently, PPE was mainly designed for male customers. The above issues can cause people to forgo wearing the right PPE and thus, diminish their level of personal protection.
A lack of women’s PPE provision
ROSPA has issued the statistic that 60% of employers in the UK aren’t providing the correct PPE to women, even though it is available on the open market at retailers like Screwfix. There are several reasons why this could be the case – lack of knowledge, low awareness amongst women in industry or the higher price of women’s PPE in comparison to men’s.
Raising awareness of women’s PPE and the need to provide it will fix all these issues in time. Raising awareness means that workers will be able to self-advocate, employers will be aware of their responsibilities which should lead to a higher uptake in women’s PPE. An increased uptake will, in time, help to reduce the price of women’s PPE and bring the prices more in line with men’s PPE.
What can you do if your PPE doesn’t fit?
After you have your PPE, what do you do if it doesn’t fit? One thing you absolutely cannot do is alter it yourself! This will void the manufacturer’s guarantee and potentially open up liability if an accident were to occur due to or in spite of the PPE.
Make sure to report any ill-fitting PPE to H&S management as they will need to know in order to help you find the right fit to keep you safe during your working day. Resources such as the PPE that Fits directory may be of assistance.
How can WA Management help?
WA Management offer a PPE online training course, which is suitable for both employers and employees and provides information on duties relating to PPE and correctly using, maintaining and storing equipment.
We also have an extensive range of equipment available in our own PPE catalogue. Get in touch to learn more!