Safe and Secure

In the construction industry and trades, personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential to keeping workers safe and thriving on the job. Everyone on a worksite is mandated to have well-fitted, intact and site-appropriate PPE. So, why does the Canadian Assocation of Women in Construction (CAWIC) continue to hear of so many issues and concerns about the lack of availability and fit of PPE for women on the jobsite in 2025?

Beyond shrink it and pink it

CAWIC has heard from women about the lack of availability and choice for PPE in the marketplace. The repercussions of this issue are enormous. Women can feel pressured to walk onto the jobsite feeling unsafe and worried about injuries or even death. Some women may feel like they can’t speak up to ask for proper PPE in the workplace and proceed with doing their jobs in an unsafe and downright dangerous manner.

From helping identify workers to saving lives, PPE is one of the most important components of worker safety. For far too long, PPE for women was either a smaller version of a men’s size or something that’s marketed for women but not designed with them in mind. The “shrink it and pink it” idea was seen as the solution and a win for women in the industry. However, that was not enough. Today, the industry is making significant, positive improvements to providing women with PPE designed specifically for their needs.

PPE needs to be able to do its job

Individuals spend years training to enter their chosen trade, earning their place on the jobsite and the hard hat that represents their profession, whether it’s the red of an electrician, the white of an engineer or the classic yellow of a labourer or operator. Imagine putting in all that effort, only to find that the hard hat doesn’t fit. Neither do the gloves. Suddenly, everything you’ve learned about safety is dismissed, because the industry’s standard wasn’t designed with you in mind.

If you are using smaller sizes without accounting for a differently shaped body, you may end up with loose sleeves, waist gaps, material splitting and lack of chest protection. Or, if you are working with something not designed with women in mind, you may end up missing key components, such as ease of removal, flaps for bathroom usage, extra pockets for remote site personal items or simply gloves designed in the right sizes.

Many women take to altering PPE themselves to try and make something work, either with duct tape and rubber bands or even spending their own money to have their PPE tailored. The other choice some women make is to simply forgo PPE all together, with the potential for life-altering consequences.
PPE reduces injuries and fatalities, but for it to function at its optimal level, it must fit and be used properly.

Leading the way

According to research conducted by the CSA Group in 2022, “the three most common problems the Canadian women surveyed have with their PPE are that a. it does not fit properly (50 per cent); b. it is uncomfortable to wear (43 per cent) and c. the selection of women-specific PPE is inadequate (35 per cent).”

As the representation of women grows in the industry, continuing efforts to address these problems is paramount. The first step is to spotlight these issues and focus on developing new solutions, and that is exactly what the construction industry and the PPE sector are doing. The momentum to create new products and solutions is exciting and will drive greater innovations in PPE for women.

The momentum to create new products and solutions is exciting and will drive greater innovations in PPE for women.

While the construction industry continues to transform, so too does PPE. Whether it is appropriately sized PPE to impact-resistance gloves, solar reflective strips and high visibility materials to smart helmets and wearable sensors, innovations in PPE are rapidly evolving to keep women safer in the workplace. Many of the redesigns and updates for PPE won’t just benefit women, but everyone in the construction industry.

Some CAWIC members are leading the charge to help ensure women are safe on the jobsite and are building inclusive and women’s PPE lines. Everyone is welcome on the jobsite, and everyone must be safe on it.