Proper PPE for Working Women in Construction •

Even though females make up about 50% of the overall U.S. workforce, the construction workforce can only claim 10% of female employees. This means women are still an untapped employee market, especially in construction and the trades.  Women need to feel like they’re part of the team and have the right fitting PPE.  They are strong team members, willing to learn, and have a diverse set of skills.  Their development and inclusion as team members and as professionals at the jobsite is key to retention.

Part of being inclusive is to provide female workers with proper-fitting PPE, including high-visibility cloth­ing. For years, women in the trades haven’t had many choices in their workwear. They often wore the same apparel that their male counterparts were wearing. In some instances, this worked. But, overall, these oversized protective garments didn’t fit properly. Baggy apparel can lead to catch hazards on construction equipment, which often results in trips and falls – a leading cause of injuries at jobsites. Tight-fitting apparel leads to discom­fort and improper wear, such as wearing garments open, tucked or not at all.

Other times, women wore completely different gar­ments from men, which made women stand out from their male peers. This often left women feeling ostracized from the team.

In the past few years, garments tailored for women have become more common. These garments look simi­lar to men’s apparel but are designed with specific details that consider the female form and shape. Some of the design details include:

• Narrower at the shoulders
• Somewhat tapered at the waist
• Wider sweep (hips) or side slits
• Higher zippers/closures for more coverage and security

These better-fitting garments boost compliance and help reduce trips and falls from catch hazards. Female construction workers are already required to navigate myriad risks at work because of the nature of their work, so why add ill-fitting apparel to the mix?

On construction sites and manufacturing floors all across America, women make significant contributions. It is essential that they have access to PPE that is designed specifically to fit and protect them properly. Oversized PPE can get in the way, reduce productivity and potentially lead to injury.

Hi-vis vests, T-shirts, winter jackets and rain jackets designed specifically for women are now available to help outfit female workers in a variety of applications and sea­sons. ANSI/ISEA 107 Type O Class 1, Type R Class 2 and Type R Class 3 garments are also offered, covering vari­ous compliance and application needs.

The variety of hi-vis apparel available today allows women in construction and the trades to fit in with their male peers. Team inclusivity along with properly fitting apparel and PPE will make women feel more comfortable and secure at work. Feeling safe, secure and comfortable on the job not only will help attract female workers but will help retain them too.

This article republished with permission from Radians.

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