The current market for protective workplace equipment is falling short when it comes to keeping women safe on the job, a recent report found.
The CSA Group, a global testing and certification nonprofit based in Toronto, surveyed nearly 3,000 Canadian women about their experiences with personal protective equipment (PPE) at their jobs. The study indicated that conventional PPE does not properly fit women, with a significant share of respondents attributing injuries or other workplace safety issues to ill-fitting equipment.
According to the group, more than one-third of poll participants said they wear PPE designed for men, and about half said they needed to adjust their PPE either when they put it on or at least once per shift. Just shy of 40% said they use rubber bands, duct tape, or other workarounds — often paid for out-of-pocket — to modify ill-fitting PPE.
The survey also found that 6% felt that the PPE they wear was designed for them, while 85% said they had been hampered at their jobs by their protective gear. Nearly 40% said they had experienced a workplace injury or incident due to improper PPE.
CSA Group analysts noted that a broad push to encourage more women to learn trades — and help address a critical shortage of skilled workers — would require a more “deliberate and inclusive” approach to PPE. They also noted the role of policymakers in addressing the program, including the need for consistent, nationwide regulations and more accurate data on the current working population.
“Women are not just scaled down versions of men,” Jennifer Teague, the group’s vice president of standards research and planning, said in a statement. “PPE needs to be designed with everyone in mind.”
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