In March 2023, my Women in IH colleague, Diana Peroni, and I coauthored an article highlighting some current challenges in equitable personal protective equipment solutions for women. We shared how the concept of “shrink it and pink it” is inequitable for PPE solutions, specifically considering anthropometric fit, a woman’s body shape and size, and the need for unique personal protective clothing. We also highlighted elements to consider for enhancing current PPE programs. You can refresh your memory with the March 2023 issue of The Synergist. Now that two years have passed since publication of that article, it’s time to move beyond simply identifying the challenges and focus on one of the next steps in an effective PPE program: vendor selection.

2023 data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that women make up less than 30 percent of the workforce in many PPE-centric industries, such as construction, manufacturing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction, and transportation and utilities (PDF). While these numbers have not changed significantly year over year, the shift is more noticeable when we focus on the growth of women in these industries over the past decade, as presented in Table 1.

THREE KEY WINS FOR WOMEN’S PPE AWARENESS As awareness increases around equitable PPE for all working individuals, we continue to see progress in the broader community. In the U.S., these successes include passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) in 2023. The final regulation from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to implement the PWFA went into effect on June 18, 2024, and requires covered employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related medical conditions, unless the accommodations will cause the employer undue hardship. EEOC clearly specifies that accommodations under this regulation include properly fitted safety equipment.

Another big win for awareness of women’s PPE came when OSHA finalized a revision of its PPE in construction standard to specify that the personal protective equipment referenced in 29 CFR 1926.95(c) must fit properly. While proper fit is a requirement in the general industry and maritime standards, it is not clearly identified as such for the construction industry. OSHA’s rule, effective January 13, 2025, closes this loophole.

In September 2023, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) published Technical Report: Guidance of Personal Protective Equipment for Women, which provides guidance for proper selection, fit, and use. In addition to highlighting challenges with anthropometric data and the impact of ill-fitted PPE, this resource provides anthropometric fit parameters for various female body parts including the hand, head, and face.

EMPLOYEE INPUT An organization with an effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) approach will have a diverse workforce, including diversity of mind, culture, ethnicity, sex, and gender. The organization therefore needs to understand that size differences will exist among all their employees.

As we know from the hierarchy of controls, PPE is a user-oriented solution. It requires the user to properly don the equipment. If the fit is not appropriate, the user is not fully protected. All employees should have access to, and the ability to select, properly fitted protective equipment.

While awareness of these issues at the highest level is necessary, you will need input from all individuals in your organization, especially those using the PPE, to fully understand challenges with PPE fit and selection. Keep an open mind about employees’ input: regard their comments not as complaints but as opportunities to learn. Help ensure that you make the best choice regarding PPE options and providers by asking your workforce key questions about the type, fit, and accessibility of PPE, such as the following: • What PPE do you currently use? • Have you ever had to purchase your own PPE because we did not have the proper items for you? • Have you made modifications to PPE to ensure they fit better? • Have you ever been exposed to a new hazard because of the way your PPE fit (or did not fit)? • Are there hazards for which you feel PPE should be offered and is not? • Do you feel physically safe while at work?

VENDOR SELECTION Once a business case has been outlined for enhancing PPE offerings, it is time to consider the selection of vendors. The most mature and effective PPE programs will have proactive measures in place to identify and provide properly fitted items. This means ensuring equipment and clothing is readily available not just for the current workforce but also for the workforce your organization wants to attract.

Inventory the PPE Needs of Your Organization Conduct a thorough review of your organization’s safety program, job hazard analyses, injury and accident logs, and other documentation that provide insight into the types of hazards present within the workplace. Inventory the current list of PPE requirements for your organization and confirm which items are necessary for the job. This is also a good time to review solutions and determine if additional improvements can eliminate the need for PPE.

Once you’ve identified the PPE needs for your organization, consider which elements may have a fit factor that would impact individuals. For example, a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) requires proper fit. When reviewing current or proposed vendors for PFAS, consider whether the sizing parameters they offer for their harnesses meet the needs of your workforce. The location of chest straps on some harnesses may cause discomfort or maneuverability issues for women. Simply sizing down may not alleviate these issues, but harnesses designed specifically for women may. Look for vendors that offer women-specific solutions such as this.

Recognize that PPE selection may not be completed in one step and that continuous improvements will be necessary. Begin your search for women-specific PPE by prioritizing the hazards most critical to their safety. You may not know which hazards are most important without having direct conversations with workers at the outset. For example, you may identify respirator fit as a top priority, whereas the women wearing the respirator may have greater concern about the hazards imposed by the improperly fitted lab coat they have to wear. Use those conversations coupled with your knowledge of professional safety and occupational health to outline a plan for integrating women’s PPE into each task as warranted.

The best vendors will have a broad selection of offerings for women across all PPE categories, not just one or two options. As demand grows, the offerings vendors provide will also grow. Be open with your current supplier to identify gaps in their offerings.

Review Past Spending and Purchasing Practices While researching our 2023 article, Diana and I discovered that many PPE elements targeted toward women include the aptly named “pink tax.” This term refers to the practice of pricing similar, or even identical, products differently when they are marketed toward women instead of men. Instances of this surcharge exist in our daily lives: for example, the pink tax is readily seen in feminine hygiene and personal care products. The PPE market can also experience a pink tax on clothing and equipment developed and marketed for women.

Look at your past spending on PPE and gauge the pricing difference imposed by adding women-specific options to the selection. Have conversations with PPE suppliers and vendors on any pricing discrepancies you see for gender-based products. While some pricing fluctuations may exist for different fabrics, smaller production runs, and lower demand, these costs should not be prohibitive. Weigh the costs of the PPE solutions with the overall potential cost of not providing properly fitted PPE. For example, an improperly fitted hi-vis vest could snag and get caught on a piece of equipment, causing an entanglement injury for the worker. An N95 respirator not designed for a narrow face may not provide full respiratory protection, resulting in a misperceived level of risk acceptance by the wearer and potentially long-term or acute respiratory issues and illnesses, depending on the hazard the respirator is intended to protect against.

Hold manufacturers and suppliers accountable for the pricing differences and ensure that they do their part to offer fair prices, broaden their inventory of female-focused PPE, and continue to develop innovative and effective PPE solutions for all.

Research Specific PPE Solutions As was mentioned in the 2023 article, some unique situations exist for women. Items such as fire-resistant undergarments and hijabs may not be readily available from major PPE vendors and may require your organization to work with a niche provider. Do not automatically deem a PPE item unnecessary because your current vendor does not offer it.

Take time to understand the needs of your employees and research all potential vendors offering a solution. It is critical, especially in these situations, that the PPE solution offered by the vendor meets regulatory and consensus standards for its intended use.

Use resources such as the AIHA Connect Expo to meet with various suppliers, discuss their PPE solutions specific to women, and learn how they are working toward providing broader options for a diverse workforce.

A SUSTAINABLE VENDOR RELATIONSHIP Ensure that your vendor is equipped to meet the needs of your organization. This includes understanding common challenges and pitfalls with the relationship and alleviating these frustrations from the beginning. With the continued growth of and reliance on e-commerce solutions, consider suppliers that allow returns and exchanges. The easier it is to return and exchange ill-fitting PPE, the more likely employees are to speak up if the fit is not quite right. This can increase their overall job satisfaction and perception of safety within the organization.

Get in front of sizing and return issues by using resources such as the ASSP technical report and manufacturer sizing guides to aid in proper selection. If manufacturers or suppliers offer female-fitted garments, request a sizing chart to help employees select the best fit prior to purchasing. Many vendors, specifically with footwear, will offer to come on site so employees can try items before selecting the appropriate option. This is a great solution when facilitating selections at one central location. If employees are not centrally located or if they report directly to job sites or remote locations, sizing guides and charts are effective solutions.

Sustainable PPE purchasing programs have an ease-of-use element. If the PPE purchaser must look at multiple suppliers for each necessary item, the potential to miss or forget items increases. In larger organizations, purchasing departments may want to facilitate all PPE purchases and payments, requiring contracts and pricing agreements to be in place before items can be purchased. For reasons such as this, it may be advantageous to select one key vendor.

Just as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to PPE, it is also possible that there is no single vendor that can meet all your PPE needs. Be open to the possibility that your organization may need to use multiple PPE vendors to offer the most effective solutions. One provider may offer solutions for the broadest of your PPE needs but does not have sufficient solutions for a portion of your workforce. Find the vendors with the best options for your teams, and talk with your purchasing department or whoever is responsible for payment of PPE invoices about the possibility of linking agreements to encourage collaborations between smaller providers and larger ones. If they’re willing to work together, perhaps the larger provider can stock the niche products that some of the smaller or direct suppliers may provide.

Through a strategic and targeted approach to vendor selection, understanding the needs of your workforce, and being open to change, your organization can be best positioned to offer PPE solutions for all individuals.

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