Women's PPE Provision - Our Monitor shares her insights
Learn more about how the Considerate Constructors Scheme is supporting the provision of women's personal protective equipment in this interview with our Scheme Monitor Jo Rieny.
7th February 2024
Interview with Jo Rieny, Scheme Monitor on Women's PPE Provision
This week, we caught up with Jo Rieny, a Considerate Constructors Scheme Monitor and construction industry specialist who has been working within the sector for over 20 years. She has worked in a range of health, safety and compliance roles, before taking up a position with the Scheme in 2022 as a Scheme Monitor. In the interview, she discusses her thoughts on the topic of women’s PPE provision within the construction industry, and shares some insights into the challenges that she has personally faced when having to work with ill-fitting protective equipment in the past. She welcomes the Scheme’s new Code mandate, which requires that all registered sites provide access to appropriately fitting PPE for women, while sharing her thoughts on how this new mandate will impact and change the industry for the better.
Please share some insights into how challenging it has historically been to source appropriately fitting women’s PPE, and the negative impact that this has had on women’s everyday work in construction.
"I have worked in the industry for over 20 years, female sized PPE was certainly not a consideration or conversation when I first started in the industry, so the fact we now have such amazing campaigns and changes to drive improvement in this area is a huge positive.
Not providing the correct fitting PPE can be a significant health and safety issue, for example RPE designed to fit a man's face would potentially not provide the same protection levels for a woman if simply provided in a smaller size and not designed/fit correctly. It can also have an impact on mental health and wellbeing through not having the feeling of inclusivity, affecting comfort levels and confidence etc."
Can you share any personal examples of how badly fitting PPE has affected your own work in Construction in the past?
"Yes, I sure can! There's lots to remember, but one particularly stood out. A number of years ago, I undertook my IPAF Operator course and the harness provided was ill-fitting, uncomfortable and potentially unsafe. Attendees were encouraged to undertake a MEWPS demonstration at an industry event for Work at Height.
One had to wear a harness and over trousers. The over-trousers provided to me were massively oversized and did not encourage women at the event to get involved, and there was no provision at all for female sizes. I had to wear them, and in the photo I have provided, you can see that I was smiling, but in reality I remember feeling so embarrassed. It was hard enough going 90 meters up in the air in a truck-mounted platform (the only female in the basket), but then to add the fact I looked and felt ridiculous!
Although we have come such a long way in recent years, I do believe we can still improve, and it is so exciting to see changes such as the Code of Considerate Practice checklist requirement and the Best Practice Hub helping to educate and support companies on this journey, which will hopefully, in turn, drive an improvement with manufacturers and market availability."
What are the benefits of wearing appropriately-fitting PPE in construction and how does this helps to ensure comfort, confidence and support when working on a construction site?
"PPE offers maximum protection when it fits the wearer properly. The user should have the confidence that the PPE provided is doing its job correctly, and when it fits correctly they can feel at ease. As a female in the construction industry it is often the case that we are outnumbered by our male counterparts in the working environment, during meetings etc. If you then add to that the feeling of being uncomfortable, this does not promote an inclusive industry that women would want to work in. This is why having access to appropriately-fitting PPE is so important and why I'm excited that the Scheme is backing it."
What are some of the barriers that have existed or still exist today to sourcing appropriately fitting women’s PPE in construction?
"While access is improving, there is still limited availability of the products, as well as long lead times for products to arrive. PPE items such as vests, hats, gloves are also frequently provided in pink colours or floral patterns, which is fine, but it does not suit everyone and can play to outdated gender stereotypes. Harnesses have not always been designed with women’s body shape in mind (eg. chest and hips), plus boots that were often provided on-site were also just scaled down in size, so ill-fitting and heavy when worn. Trousers were a frequent problem, with oversized items such as work trousers and over trousers often looking ridiculous and feeling oppressive to wear (see picture). Thankfully things are now moving in a more positive direction."
Why is PPE in female sizes not ubiquitous despite the legislative protections for PPE that already exist?
"I am not sure I can answer the ‘why’ for this question – it links to a much bigger discussion around why do we not have more women in the industry and again that is not an easy response. The (Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations and Personal Protective Equipment Regulations) HSE legislation and guidance clearly states PPE should be:
- Properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit-for-purpose
- Selected based on equipment that suits the worker: consider the size, fit, compatibility and weight of the PPE and the physical characteristics of the user. Modifying PPE to fit is not a suitable solution
The Equality Act also places legal requirements on employers to not treat you worse than your co-workers because of your sex, whether you are male or female. They shouldn’t indirectly discriminate either, by having requirements that are harder for you to meet because of your sex.
Despite the legal requirements, a large number of employers are still not fully compliant with regards to female requirements, it is a huge positive that we are now having this discussion around administrative controls for providing sufficient PPE in female sizes during our monitoring visits which should drive compliance."
Please share your thoughts on the Scheme’s new mandate for women’s PPE provision, and how you think it will help to improve the lives of women working within the industry.
"I think this is an incredibly positive update to the CCS checklist. The reaction I have received from the registered activities I have visited with regards to the change has also been positive. In some cases, it’s not an area they have previously considered. We can then step in to answer questions and help people see why this change is crucial. Going forward for women working in the industry or even visitors to site, it will hugely benefit them to have the correct PPE readily available. I am sure this will ensure they feel considered, included and comfortable to be able to undertake their role safely."
How do you think CCS’s new mandate into PPE Provision will enhance diversity in the construction sector and help to improve access to women who may want to enter it?
"A regular conversation I have on-site visits is regarding the number of females within the industry and what we can do as an industry to encourage more women into construction. Although there are no quick and easy answers anything we are doing to promote equality and diversity is a huge positive and will help to encourage more women into our industry."