PPE issues affecting female engineers

New PPE Research Released 🚨 With the recent publishing of BS 30417:2025 – the new British Standard on inclusive PPE, I’m delighted to share my own research findings from my time at Sheffield Hallam University, focusing on women’s experiences with PPE in the construction industry. The results highlight just how widespread the issue is: 🔹 94.1% of women and 56.6% of men reported experiencing ill-fitting PPE. 🔹 11% of men and 10% of women reported that poor fit had led to health and safety issues. These figures reinforce what so many of us in the industry have known for a long time — ill-fitting PPE is not just uncomfortable, it’s unsafe. For women especially, PPE that has been designed around a “one-size-fits-all” approach simply doesn’t provide the protection it should. Respondents shared examples of how poor PPE has affected not only their safety, but also their confidence, career progression, and sense of belonging on site. I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the questionnaire and shared their experiences – your voices are helping to drive meaningful change across our industry. And of course, a special thank you to my dissertation supervisor Liz Laycock for her support throughout! If you’d like to know more about the research, collaborate on initiatives, or simply continue the conversation, please do get in touch 😊

Safety Overalls are not always practical. Especially, for women in engineering. And I learned this the hard way. 🧥 I wear overalls daily as part of my job in aircraft maintenance. They’re protective, durable, and required. But here’s the problem: Using the restroom or changing clothes is a struggle. It’s not about the size or fit. Mine aren’t baggy. The challenge is design and convenience. You have to take off the entire upper body to use the restroom. Changing quickly also becomes frustrating. I lose precious time and comfort. This is something I never thought about until I had to live through it. Every day. In the Workshop. On tight schedules. 💡 Here are some better alternatives that I believe can help: Two-piece coveralls — easier to manage when you need quick access. Jumpsuits with zip access at the back or side. It might feel like a small thing, but it affects how you feel at work. 👷🏾♀️ Functional design matters. Especially when you're on your feet, on the move, and under pressure. Dearest Female AeroLovelies, 🔍 Have you faced this challenge in your workwear? ➡️ What solution worked best for you? 🖼️ Annie working on an E-145 Nose Wheel at the Wheels and Brakes Workshop #womeninengineering #womenwednesday #theairplanegirl

Women in heavy industries will know the feeling of at least one of these, if not all: We exit the site building with precariously balanced hard hat and equally precariously balanced safety glasses. A coat to our knees that sticks out at the shoulders like a tent. Hands making fists inside gloves to keep them from falling off, inside sleeves we can’t tie back. Over men’s trousers with a crotch halfway to the knees, impeding our natural stride and ability to climb inclines, or badly designed women’s trousers, so tight we can’t bend, creating a beacon for attention we never wanted. All balanced on boots that don’t tie tight enough around our female ankle width, heels blistered from the movement, feet aching from clenching toes trying our hardest to hold on” It doesn’t have to be this way. I’ve tried PPE that fits, allows movement, looks smart not degrading, and does what it’s meant to protect. Described above is anti-safety safety equipment. People who aren’t average sized men deserve to be safe. Stop treating PPE like a commodity. It’s safety equipment and our lives are worth every single penny of decent PPE. #boldasbrass #pperevolution #ppethatfits #womenssafety #womenshealth Rock Fall Safety Footwear Leo Workwear Blåkläder Workwear UK JSP Safety https://lnkd.in/e9Xf3WVR