Making changes to ill-fitting PPE and workplace culture benefits both men and women in construction careers
There has been much dialogue regarding women in construction and advocating for changes in the industry, especially when it comes to personal protective equipment (PPE) and workplace culture.
What if improvements in both these areas were long overdue regardless of gender?
PPE
Updated 2023 legislation in Ontario states, “Personal protective clothing and equipment that is provided, worn or used shall be a proper fit, having regard to all relevant factors, including body types.” This legislation was introduced with women in mind, but wearing proper fitting PPE is in everyone’s best interest. Think about this regarding safety glasses, fall protection harnesses, gloves, ear plugs and more.
It is common to find “one-size-fits-all” PPE on a project site, but all men are not six feet tall and 200 pounds, either. It isn’t just about donning the safety equipment, but protecting the worker from the hazard of the task at hand.
Safety protection is not one-size-fits-all, yet often the gear on site is one size only.
Have you ever spotted someone with safety glasses sliding down their nose, harness shoulder straps falling off, gloves that are too big or ear plugs falling out while they work? Each one of these scenarios creates its own safety hazard. Safety protection is not one-size-fits-all, yet often the gear on site in one size only.
How do employers end up with ill-fitting PPE on site? Most often, the culprit is lack of education. In many situations, the person who is tasked with ordering the company’s PPE may be doing this as “another duty as assigned” and has never been properly trained in its requirements. If this sounds familiar, don’t hesitate to reach out to a health and safety firm to wade through this unknown (and often confusing) territory.
Workplace culture
Construction culture has come a long way since the days of catcalling, hand gestures and politically incorrect comments directed at co-workers, but there is still some work to do. The construction environment has not always been kind or healthy to all men on site. Often, the people who are carrying out any “teasing” at work believe that it’s part of a “tough love” approach.
However, it’s 2024, and this “tough love” approach does not have a positive impact. For men who are on the receiving end of workplace teasing, ask them if they enjoy coming to work every day. Most often, their response is, “No, I [expletive] hate it.” When it’s projected that the Canadian construction industry will be short by almost 300,000 workers by the year 2032, does it really make sense to drive away the good talent it does have? The same applies to women on site.
When a male worker makes remarks to female workers such as, “Hey, get back in the kitchen,” or, “We’re the muscle, she’s just the eye candy,” please speak up. Become the ally who is needed to make this sector more inclusive. Men who notice that when sitting at the boardroom table, every time a female co-worker starts to speak, someone cuts her off, please be the ally who says, “Hold on, I’d like to finish hearing what Rose has to say and then we can move on to you.” As a man or woman who witnesses a man receiving unwelcomed comments, be the ally that they need.
People need to come together collectively to speak up about negative behaviour. Only then will the changes needed throughout this industry start to be seen. This can be difficult or uncomfortable to address, but what is accepted becomes the culture.
As an employer or supervisor, if this sounds familiar, it may be time to get the house in order. It’s expected that Canadian provinces will be ramping up legislation to address workplace harassment in the near future. There are many benefits to an inclusive workplace. How is better talent attraction and retention, higher employee engagement, increased innovation and creativity, and enhanced decision-making not good for business?
While addressing certain problems in the construction workplace may be framed as accommodating women in the industry, the fact is that these safety and cultural changes are what’s safe and healthy for everyone on a work site, regardless of gender.
Susan Carey is the president of BuildSafe – Construction Safety Services Inc.
