A new report released March 7 finds that 70% of women in the workforce lack access to properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE), increasing the risk of workplace injuries.
Equity in Safety: A Global Report on Women’s Access to Proper Personal Protection Equipment was released by The Safety Rack, a non-profit committed to closing the PPE equity gap. The organization launched the #MyBodyMyPPE campaign last year through which more than 500 women in construction, manufacturing, and other industries were surveyed about their experiences with PPE availability, fit, and accessibility. The report is available for download at The Safety Rack.
“This report should serve as a wake-up call for the industry to fundamentally rethink PPE design and availability. The #MyBodyMyPPE Survey results, while confirming long-standing issues, are a critical catalyst for change,” says DeIla Ray, welding PPE expert at The Safety Rack and one of the founders of the #MyBodyMyPPE campaign. “With over a decade in the field, I find the findings unsurprising. However, the sheer volume of women voicing these shared experiences demands action. It’s not merely about comfort; it’s about safety and respect. An overhaul from manufacturers, retailers, and companies is necessary to ensure equipment truly fits the workforce, in all its diversity, and ultimately prioritizes the safety and well-being of every tradesperson.”
Emily Soloby, founder and CEO of Juno Jones Safety Footwear and also a founder of the #MyBodyMyPPE campaign, echoed those thoughts.
“The results of the #MyBodyMyPPE survey will be eye-opening to many but are unfortunately not surprising to those of us familiar with what women go through on the job. Learning that 70% of women still don’t have access to properly fitting PPE—and that 66% have been directly hindered on the job because of it—reinforces what so many of us in the industry already knew: the PPE gap is a serious safety and equity issue,” she says. “My hope is that this report serves as a wake-up call for companies and distributors to take real action such as adding women-focused brands to their selections. Women shouldn’t have to modify, compromise, or struggle to find gear that fits. It’s time for the industry to step up, listen to the data, and ensure that all workers, regardless of gender, have access to the protection they deserve.”
The findings
The majority of the survey’s 505 responses came from the construction (33.5%), manufacturing (12.3%), and mining (7.5%) industries. Most respondents were from the U.S. (62.2%), followed by Canada (12.9%), the United Kingdom (10.9%), and Australia (9.1%). Sixty percent of the respondents were between the ages of 25 and 44.
In addition to the 70% who said they don’t have access to female-specific PPE in their workplace, 94.3% said they have experienced challenges finding PPE that fits them properly in terms of size and comfort. Asked if they were aware of workplace policies or initiatives addressing the unique PPE sizing and fit and requirements of women, 83% of respondents said no. In addition, 92.7% said they don’t believe the current range of PPE options for women is diverse enough to accommodate various body shapes and sizes.
The PPE equity gap can lead to potential work hazards. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they have encountered situations where the lack of properly fitting PPE hindered their ability to perform their jobs safely, and 20.6% said they personally experienced a situation in which ill-fitting PPE caused an injury. Another 37.3% said they experienced a near-miss incident caused by ill-fitting PPE.
Recommendations
The report made eight recommendations for organizations and employers to address the gaps in workplace safety identified by the survey:
- Implement gender-specific PPE policies: Organizations should develop and enforce policies ensuring the availability of PPE specifically designed for women.
- Request women-focused brands from distributors: Companies sourcing PPE from distributors should request that female-specific brands be carried, including those from small women-owned companies
- Add to your vendor list: Companies should include suppliers capable of offering head-to-toe female-specific PPE to their approved vendor list.
- Use women-owned and focused PPE companies: Companies should prioritize manufacturers committed to providing safety options specifically for women and those that focus on proper anthropometric measurements for women’s PPE.
- Reject the notion of “unisex” PPE: Companies should reject “unisex” PPE, recognizing that such products are often designed based on male measurements and lack the nuance required to fit both men and women correctly.
- Reject “pink it and shrink it” PPE: PPE that is simply colored pink or altered in appearance without changes to the measurements should be rejected as unacceptable.
- Collaborate with manufacturers: Employers should collaborate with women’s PPE manufacturers on research and development to expand the variety of options available, ensuring they accommodate a diverse range of body shapes and sizes.
- Establish feedback mechanisms: Companies should regularly solicit feedback from employees on PPE fit and comfort and make necessary adjustments. This feedback should be integrated into ongoing safety audits and risk management processes for continuous improvement.
Amy Roosa, founder and CEO of The Safety Rack and another founder of the #MyBodyMyPPE campaign, is encouraged by the report and says the group’s work is just getting started.
“The Safety Rack started with the focus on women’s PPE and construction and that’s only the beginning,” she says. “We want to actually get into understanding the pinch points for women in fire, women in the military, women in medical and how do we get that data out so that the manufacturers and distributors have it to start collaborating and designing the workwear and the PPE that they need to actually function in the workforce. No woman, regardless of the industry that they work in, should be wearing PPE that doesn’t fit them.”