Women's PPE in Construction

Supporting the Provision of PPE for Women in Construction

The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is proud to support women in construction with its nationally-recognised Code of Considerate Practice. As of 1st January 2023, the Scheme has introduced a fundamental update to its Code which has now placed access to Women’s PPE provision at construction sites at the forefront of our continuous improvement agenda. This means that our registered sites and organisations must provide suitable PPE in a variety of styles and sizes that are appropriate for women’s body shapes. This important and necessary decision reflects our continued commitment to safety and inclusion in the industry, while ensuring that women’s needs are championed and supported. We are committed to levelling the playing field for everyone in the industry, ensuring that women in construction experience respect and prioritise health and wellbeing.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme is committed to improving inclusivity and diversity in the construction industry and helping to address its skills gap. Improving access for women in the industry is integral to this, and we are delighted to play our part by promoting the provision of female specific PPE on sites that sign-up to our Code of Considerate Practice.

Philip Sayer Head of Assurance and Challenge, Considerate Constructors Scheme

The importance of personal protective equipment for women in construction

Construction workers use PPE or ‘Personal Protective Equipment’ to reduce the risks of hazards often present on sites. Unfortunately, companies and manufacturers have failed to provide women with well-fitting PPE for far too long. They've subsequently had to wear ill-fitting equipment originally designed for male bodies. This one-size-fits-few approach has failed to consider the clear anatomical differences between men and women. It has therefore placed female workers in a state of potential risk and discomfort when working on construction sites. Badly fitting personal protective equipment can be uncomfortable, restrictive, and even compromise safety. This not only disadvantages individual workers, but also hinders wider industry progress towards gender equality within the sector.

Why has the mandated Women’s PPE provision requirement been launched?

Given the fundamental importance of appropriately fitting PPE, the CCS has decided to tackle its provision for women head-on. In 2022 we worked with female stakeholders to mandate the provision of female sanitary products across our registered construction sites. At this time, we did not implement changes to the Code of Considerate Practice with regards to female PPE as well. We felt there were already sufficient legislative protections in place at the time to cover this area. The government’s Health & Safety Executive for example already makes it a legal requirement for employers to provide suitable personal protective equipment for staff who may be exposed to risk while at work.

The Benefits of Women’s PPE Provision in Construction

The provision of appropriately-fitting PPE for women on-site helps on several critical fronts:

Enhanced safety: Properly fitting PPE protects all female workers as they go about their daily tasks.
Improved comfort and mobility: Women can perform their tasks more effectively with properly fitting equipment.
Greater inclusivity and diversity: The construction industry will be able to attract a wider range of talent by making women's PPE mandatory. More women will have the equipment they need to feel safe, protected and comfortable while working in the sector.
Enhanced Social Value: Companies adhering to this mandate are demonstrating their commitment to social responsibility and equality by following the Code and making adjustments to help women thrive and prosper in the workplace.

What was the role of Considerate Constructors Scheme Monitors in launching the new requirement?

In addition to working with NAWIC and the CIOB to formulate and introduce the new women’s PPE mandate in our Code of Considerate Practice, we have also worked closely with our female Monitors on the ground. Monitors work in the very heart of the construction sector by visiting construction sites daily. This means they have been instrumental in giving us direct feedback on how poor PPE provision has been affecting women at work on construction sites, while providing the Scheme with their insights and expertise to help us formulate the new requirement.

Check out our blog post interview with Jo Rieny, one of our Scheme Monitors for further insights and observations on women's ppe provision.

However, we felt we needed to do more to support the issue following two key points. Firstly, we received survey results from Katy Robinson of the National Association of Women in Construction, which highlighted poor availability of female-appropriate PPE across many construction sites. The Chartered Institute of Building’s official #PPEthatfits campaign also flagged this poor provision of female-appropriate PPE across construction sites in the UK. With these points in mind, we decided to enhance PPE access for females who are or wish to work in construction. By introducing this requirement, we look forward to supporting greater diversity in the sector and helping to address the skills gap in construction by tackling the issue at its source.

We discussed the new mandate and the wider issue in interviews with Kathy Robinson and CIOB President Sandi Rhys Jones, exploring their own views and experiences of ill fitting PPE.

How will this new requirement for Women’s PPE be monitored?

The Scheme’s comprehensive Code of Considerate Practice is subject to routine compliance monitoring by our national team of Monitors. We conduct on-site visits to constructors who register with us, typically every six months, to score their progress against the Code. Non-conformance with the Code’s official requirements will lower the published performance score of the constructor who has failed to provide adequate provisions in line with the new women’s PPE mandate.

Often, construction Clients and/or procurement frameworks require specified levels of performance from their contractors with regard to the CCS Code. This means it is often in the best interest of the constructor to conform. Our Monitors assist registered constructors in addressing reported non-conformances with the Code. Thereby helping them raise their standards to meet the specified requirements. By having this system of checks and balances in place, we believe this will encourage every registered site to take Women’s PPE provision seriously so that it becomes the norm rather than the exception in construction.

Promoting Women’s PPE Access now and in the future

We strongly believe that no worker, regardless of gender, should ever feel restricted or unsafe due to ill-fitting PPE. This is why we have introduced our Women’s PPE provision mandate within our Code. We must ensure that everyone has access to the equipment they need to perform their job effectively and safely.

By mandating the provision of women’s PPE on construction sites, we aim to help to push the industry forward. We will also continue to work with our partners, registered activities and supporters to promote the changes. So eventually, Women’s PPE provision no longer has to be an issue that is holding the industry back.

Appropriately fitting women's ppe in construction

An Inclusive Mandate for Everyone

While our new mandate explicitly mentions the provision of PPE for women, it requires provision for all genders. Our ultimate goal is to make everyone who works in construction feel safe, secure and comfortable. For further details, please check out the comprehensive terms of our full Checklist.

Learn more

By providing women with the PPE they critically need and deserve, we create a safer, more inclusive, and more successful industry for everyone. Help build a better future for construction today by registering with our Scheme if you have not done so already.

For registered sites, learn more about the new mandate in our article on Checklist and Fee Updates for 2024.

Wider industry professionals can also advocate for change by promoting the #PPEthatfits campaign by the Chartered Institute of Building. It’s time to spread the word and support companies committed to gender equality in construction. Together, we can all make a difference.

Learn more about CCS Registration