LION’s Post

Advocacy, Awareness, and Access … all key elements in making sure women can get what they need to be protected on the job!

One size does not fit all…

This Construction Safety Week, we want everyone to feel safe and protected. At HexArmor, we recognize that finding the right fit in PPE can be a challenge, especially for women. That's why were here to bridge the gap with our inclusive sizing and fit options. Everyone deserves PPE that fits. Here's Senior Key Account Manager, Elizabeth Corwin, QSSP with her PPE suggestions for women in construction: #protectingpeople #constructionsafetyweek

It's Women in Construction Week! NAWIC had this to say about PPE for women. "When it comes to personal protective equipment, finding gear that is appropriately designed for women’s body types can be a challenge." The full link is below. Do the women on your project sites have PPE designed for women? #NAWIC #PPE #womeninconstructionweek #MYCONGCI #togetherwebuildthebest

Great initiative Alicia Woods, the #mybodymyppe campaign will let people contribute valuable insights on how PPE could be improved, especially for women and smaller body frames. I struggle with two essential pieces of PPE: 1) Safety boots, being too wide I must use double socks to prevent my feet sliding side to side , and 2) Earplugs are normally one size, which is too big and thus, I must bring my own earplugs designed for women. #womeninmining #miningmatters

Hey ladies, let's talk about something really important - staying safe in public spaces! This video shares practical, everyday tips to boost our confidence when navigating through public areas. From being aware of our surroundings to trusting our instincts and learning some self-defence hacks, it's all about empowering ourselves and each other. Let's spread this knowledge and create a safer environment for all women out there! Hit the like button if you find these tips helpful and share it with your friends to spread the word. Together, let's ensure safety becomes everyone's priority. Watch the full video on https://lnkd.in/dcjrYgJx #shivanimadanbose #safetyfirst #womensafetytips

Let's talk about inequality in a way you wouldn't normally talk about inequality 👀 I'm fortunate enough to have PPE that fits, is comfortable (as much as it can be), and keeps me safe. Unfortunately, I recently learned that this isn't the case for everybody... PPE is conventionally made with men in mind, so a substantial number of women in our industry are not given appropriate PPE to wear on sites as they undertake their much needed roles in our industry! In fact, it's around 60% of women 🙈 The immediate issue here is safety, ill-fitting PPE isn't safe, and our no.1 priority in our work is safety! So this is a fundamental flaw in the construction industry. But also, it impacts confidence and perceived ability in the jobs women are undertaking. Such a shame 😒 (I also read a while back that even things like crash test dummies are designed with men's physiques, so the safety of cars is better suited to men too! The list goes on, and for those who are open-minded in my audience and want to have a good read, check out Invisible Women by Caroline Perez) Now as a man, who isn't impacted by this, why am I bothered? Simply put I, like everyone else, have a moral duty to those around me, especially when it comes to safety! So I wanted to draw some attention to it ❗ But if you really want to know more, or be part of the amazing work going on to change this in The PPE Campaign, speak with: Katy Robinson NAWIC Yorkshire Can I get some men in the room please?! #PPECampaign #healthandsafety #equality #construction #engineering

Laughing through my tears as per usual with the work of Caroline Criado Perez. Funny to read this just after Katerina's post about actually finding a women's site toilet, *not* being used for storage (the wins we celebrate, eh?)! The piece isn't just about pockets (it's mostly about gloves to be honest!), but this bit really made me laugh-cry: "... you might think that the one benefit of PPE designed for men is that at least the women wearing it would have access to the access-to-the-fourth-dimension-male-pockets that women actually envy (you know, as opposed to what Freud reckoned we envy.) Anyway, sadly this is often not the case as PPE that hasn’t been designed around female hips renders the default-male-pockets sadly not fit for the large items that women in such jobs are likely to need to carry. Which means that women find themselves carrying around BAGS for tools / daily necessities, and I honestly cannot, this is the ultimate insult." Great to hear the work Women's Engineering Society have been doing to push better PPE across the industry! "This month, she wrote to the Health and Safety Executive to: request that they a) look into amending the PPE Regulations and adding the users’ protected characteristics into the requirements and b) to start to formally investigate ill-fitting PPE as a cause of accidents. The literature for ill-fitting PPE causing accidents is far and few between in terms of case law, but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence in the literature to suggest that it is a problem – therefore highlighting that the HSE are not investigating it sufficiently."

⛔ CECA are proud to be supporting NAWIC QLD - National Association of Women in Construction in their campaign to highlight why inclusive PPE matters & have teamed up to run a 1 hour FREE webinar for all CECA members. 🚺 We all recognise that ill-fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) for women has been an issue in the construction industry for decades. NAWIC Yorkshire recently found that 59.6% of employers do not provide women’s specific PPE, and with the number of women in the industry increasing every year, it’s a problem that we need to solve urgently. 👷♀️ Women have had to suffer through the negative effects of wearing ill-fitting unisex PPE. It is not just uncomfortable, it is DANGEROUS. Just some of the issues identified by women include; ⚠ Oversized boots causing a trip hazard, discomfort, and health problems (i.e.. Tendinitis, Morton’s Neuroma) ⚠ Oversized gloves causing issues with gripping handrails and tools ⚠ Baggy clothing causing trip & trap hazard ⚠ Difficulty in adjusting harnesses to fit ⚠ Ill-fitting PPE restricting movements and requiring constant adjustment ⚠ Ill-fitting goggles steaming up and hampering vision. 🏗 With the UK industry reporting 45 fatalities in 2022/2023 alone, surely we could and SHOULD be doing more to get the basics covered. 🙍♀️ Join Katy Robinson, as she talks about the barriers to receiving women-specific PPE, the effects of ill-fitting PPE, and what we can all do to become more inclusive employers and better protect our female workforce. There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session Eventbrite booking link below: https://lnkd.in/ez2XsxCY  

⛔ CECA are proud to be supporting NAWIC QLD - National Association of Women in Construction in their campaign to highlight why inclusive PPE matters & have teamed up to run a 1 hour FREE webinar for all CECA members. 🚺 We all recognise that ill-fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) for women has been an issue in the construction industry for decades. NAWIC Yorkshire recently found that 59.6% of employers do not provide women’s specific PPE, and with the number of women in the industry increasing every year, it’s a problem that we need to solve urgently. 👷♀️ Women have had to suffer through the negative effects of wearing ill-fitting unisex PPE. It is not just uncomfortable, it is DANGEROUS. Just some of the issues identified by women include; ⚠ Oversized boots causing a trip hazard, discomfort, and health problems (i.e.. Tendinitis, Morton’s Neuroma) ⚠ Oversized gloves causing issues with gripping handrails and tools ⚠ Baggy clothing causing trip & trap hazard ⚠ Difficulty in adjusting harnesses to fit ⚠ Ill-fitting PPE restricting movements and requiring constant adjustment ⚠ Ill-fitting goggles steaming up and hampering vision. 🏗 With the UK industry reporting 45 fatalities in 2022/2023 alone, surely we could and SHOULD be doing more to get the basics covered. 🙍♀️ Join Katy Robinson, as she talks about the barriers to receiving women-specific PPE, the effects of ill-fitting PPE, and what we can all do to become more inclusive employers and better protect our female workforce. There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session Eventbrite booking link below: https://lnkd.in/eChUaPiY