Editor’s note: The mention of specific products or companies in this article does not constitute endorsement by the authors, AIHA^®, or The Synergist^®. Personal protective equipment is an integral part of every organization’s safety program. PPE should be supplied to workers when hazards cannot be mitigated through other control options. When selected and worn properly, PPE can be a valuable solution. Within an organization, PPE should never be an afterthought; in many circumstances, it is the last line of defense for protection against a hazard. Challenges arise when PPE solutions are not available for a certain group or when the PPE offered does not adequately account for the physical attributes of the individuals expected to wear it. Women in the workforce routinely face some of those challenges, but OEHS professionals can help by considering key questions when identifying, selecting, and offering PPE solutions for employees.

In honor of Women’s History Month, this article reflects on women in the workforce and their use of PPE. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of January 2022, women made up nearly half (47 percent) of employed workers over the age of 16, but they still appear to be underrepresented in many industries where safety and PPE are critical elements, such as manufacturing (29 percent), construction (11 percent), transportation (25 percent), and mining/quarrying/oil and gas (15 percent). Because of the relatively low percentages of women in these industries, resources for PPE may be lacking. Industries such as healthcare and retail that employ a relatively high percentage of women—78 percent and 49 percent, respectively—also require the use of PPE. Healthcare workers need respirators, lab coats, and gloves, and retail workers require foot protection. Proper selection and fit for employees in these industries is imperative for a safe working environment. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly increased the need for and importance of the use of PPE in the healthcare setting. When PPE does not fit the wearer correctly, it does not provide the protection it was designed to afford. But the need for additional PPE options was identified long before the pandemic. As one example, Saralyn Mark, MD, founder and president of iGIANT and the COVID-19 lead for the American Medical Women’s Association, observed during the 2014 Ebola outbreak that women were at risk of infection when the PPE did not fit them properly. WHY "SHRINK IT AND PINK IT" IS INEFFECTIVE At first, many PPE options targeted to women were merely smaller versions of men’s PPE or were offered in pink or purple, the stereotypical colors for women. Conversations with members of AIHA’s Women in IH volunteer group verified that the “shrink it and pink it” approach appeared to be a seemingly standard practice among many suppliers, vendors, and employers. What women in industry really want is safe, properly fitting protective equipment. To produce properly fitting PPE, manufacturers must recognize that the male and female bodies are anthropometrically different, says Anuja Patil, CPE, CSP, the risk control product consulting director for ergonomics at CNA Insurance. “When considering how to accommodate different body types for adjustments to PPE, one cannot just assume that a larger or smaller size will work,” Patil says. “Anthropometric data must be considered. For example, in the space of exoskeletons, designing a product that is larger in the chest-strap area will not solve for all women’s bodies. While women may need extra space to accommodate breast tissue, adjustments in torso length and width are also necessary.” These valuable insights should inform considerations of proper fit and functionality for all PPE solutions. Research shows that anthropometric data of the 50th percentile for men and the 50th percentile for women vary significantly for many body parts (see Table 1). In many instances, a woman’s body measurements may be different than the measurements in the table. Simply put, PPE is not, nor has it ever been, a one-size-fits-all solution. Advancements both in product selection and in program management are necessary to ensure a safe workplace for all.

COMMON PPE CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN As explained below, different types of PPE represent different challenges for women. Clothing The Ebola outbreak illustrated that when protective clothing such as gowns does not fit properly, the result may be unintended exposures to hazards that the PPE was designed to protect against. This risk increased during the COVID-19 pandemic when more healthcare workers needed to wear protective clothing. Improperly-fitting protective clothing can also cause safety issues. Clothing that is too large can get caught in machinery or knock over hazardous chemicals. An accident in a lab is what motivated the chemist Beau Wangtrakuldee, who suffered a serious burn from a chemical spill, to found AmorSui, a company that designs and sells PPE for both women and men. Safety risks are also present in construction, manufacturing, and other industries where employees regularly interact with machinery while wearing protective clothing such as high-visibility vests. The need for protective undergarments for women is often overlooked. Some companies offer work bras that help protect from flying scraps and embers that could get under clothing.
Fire-Resistant Gear NFPA 652, Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust, stipulates the use of flame-resistant or non-melting undergarments, when required by a formal risk assessment. While this standard notes that incidental elastic may be used, caution is necessary when elastic is a main component of the material. Due to the limited availability of FR-rated undergarments in the marketplace, it is possible that this requirement is not properly adhered to. Similar requirements are outlined in NFPA 70E, Electrical Workplace Safety, which states that arc-rated underwear or undergarments generally provide a higher system arc rating than non-melting, flammable fiber underwear or undergarments used as underlayers. According to NFPA 70E, clothing fibers such as acetate, nylon, polyester, and other fibers are not permitted in the fabric underlayers. This requirement can make it difficult to find undergarments such as bras that will offer support for the woman and protection against potential hazards. Footwear The differences in bone structure between women and men are particularly pronounced in their feet. Safety shoes that are too large can lead to tripping hazards, and those that don’t fit properly can lead to health issues such as blisters and back problems. According to one PPE provider, thirty percent of safety shoe wearers have one or more foot-related health problems. Most women confront limited options when purchasing safety shoes, especially those in smaller sizes.

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