Let’s talk safety in construction—for women. We all know PPE (personal protective equipment) is one of the best ways to heighten safety in the construction industry, and yet so much of the PPE is designed to fit men. It is time for a candid conversation about safety.
The construction industry continues to see the greatest numbers of fatalities. Falls, slips, and trips accounted for more than 39% of all construction fatalities. In 2023, 260 fatal falls to a lower level within construction were from a height of between 6 and 30 feet, while 67 fatal falls were from a height of more than 30 feet, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Portable ladders and stairs were the primary source of 109 fatalities in construction.
Yes, falls often lead to death, especially in construction, but they also lead to injury as well such as TBIs (traumatic brain injury). In fact, the CDC suggests there were more than 69,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States in 2021, which is equal to about 190 TBI-related deaths every day.
What Can We Do?
We can focus on greater education, which is something that is happening in spades this week. This week is Construction Safety Week and National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls week. Both encourage companies to improve safety, and many companies are participating in a stand down to raise awareness.
Peggy Smedley is talking about this in greater depth on The Peggy Smedley Show and in her blog this week. Make sure to check those out for a more detailed look at how companies are taking action this week and how technology, such as AI (artificial intelligence), can ultimately help improve safety in new and exciting ways.
For this blog, let’s narrow in specifically on PPE. Companies need to ensure that workers understand the importance of proper-fitting personal protective equipment—something that can be challenging for women in construction. Improperly fitting PPE can be ineffective at protecting workers. In some cases, it can even create greater hazards. Consider gloves that are too big. These could easily get stuck in machines.
If you have been following the construction industry as long as we have here at Constructech, then you know historically PPE for women has been a challenge. In a 2021 survey of 2,635 tradeswomen from the Center for Construction Research and Training, we see roughly 19% of women said they were always provided with gloves or safety equipment in all sizes that fit them while working. This means roughly 81% were left at some point with gear that did not fit. That tracks with what we have been hearing historically from readers here at Constructech.
But times are beginning to change. At the end of last year, the DOL (Dept. of Labor)’s OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Admin.) finalized a rule on proper fit requirements for personal protective equipment. The rule explicitly requires the equipment to properly fit any construction worker who needs it. This includes providing PPE that fits women and smaller or larger workers.
The AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) and Autodesk have also created an initiative that addresses the need for proper-fitting PPE for women in construction. The companies are providing contractor members with PPE designed and sized to provide a better fit for women. Each package contains glasses, gloves, and a vest. A total of 290 PPE packages were provided to 43 firms.
At the same time, we are seeing more companies come to market with PPE specifically aimed at women in construction. For instance, SeeHerWork is a women-owned business that offers work gear for women—and certainly this is only one example.
While progress is still needed, we are slowly but surely taking steps in the right direction. But we would love to hear from you! Is your company providing PPE that fits properly?
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