I don’t know any women who haven’t felt frustration at one time or another when trying to find clothes that fit properly.
Sizing among manufacturers is incredibly inconsistent, and a size that fits us perfectly in one brand can be either too large or too small in another. And as someone who’s over 6 feet tall, finding sleeves and pants that are long enough has been a challenge for me since high school.
In the past decade or so, though, more tall sizes have become available. And in the end, my problems are, at best, an inconvenience or annoyance. But for women who work on construction sites, manufacturing floors or anywhere else protective garments and equipment are needed, the wrong fit can be a matter of life and death.
Here at Safety+Health, we’ve covered numerous surveys over the years in which working women have said they have trouble finding personal protective equipment that fits. Even National Safety Council President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin, an Air Force veteran, has shared stories of being unable, during her career, to find PPE that fit her correctly.
This month, writer Susan Vargas-Sheltra takes a look at the current state of women’s PPE. She highlights some of the challenges that remain, including an anecdotal account of women hemming their PPE – which can potentially affect the garments’ protective qualities (and which was an eye-opener for me). She also reports about the progress that’s been made, and what safety professionals can do to make sure every woman on every worksite and in every facility has the garments, footwear and equipment she needs to work safely.
The opinions expressed in “Editor’s Note” do not necessarily reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local Chapters.
