The British Standards Institution has recently launched “The Provision of Inclusive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (BS 30417)”, which aims to give employers with more comprehensive guidance on providing PPE for their staff. This got me thinking more about my own experiences with PPE on site and while it’s a step in the right direction, wider issues need to be addressed to ensure women are empowered to raise issues regarding their safety.
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By Elodie Arsicaud – Team Manager
Having quite small feet, I spent years struggling with ill-fitting footwear. Most of the time, I had to wear two or three pairs of socks just to fill the space, and in one pair of boots, I even stuffed cotton wool into the toes because they were far too big. My employers did their best to help by providing new boots, but they were always either oversized or too heavy to wear comfortably. Eventually, I received a pair that somewhat fit, but the metal protective insert would dig into my skin with every step. I resorted to layering plasters to ease the pain, but it was never enough.
Working on site surrounded by hazards, the constant discomfort became a safety issue. I’d sometimes take shortcuts to avoid walking long distances, even if it meant crossing riskier areas… just to spare my feet. I felt terrible having to ask my employer yet again for another pair of boots. In the end, I took matters into my own hands and bought a pair from a local supplier, recommended by another woman on LinkedIn who had faced similar challenges.
My employers have always been genuinely supportive and did their best to help. The hesitation was mostly on my part. I often felt reluctant to speak up, knowing that women’s PPE tends to be significantly more expensive than the standard options. One of the main challenges for me was that my role wasn’t site-based full time; I only needed PPE a few days each month. That made it difficult to justify the extra cost, especially when it wasn’t essential for my day-to-day responsibilities.
Maternity brought its own set of challenges, but some maternity PPEs are very well designed. I was lucky to work with people keen to help and did not mind sourcing these for me. When I returned to work, I needed larger sized PPE to accommodate the changes in my body. But as I gradually returned to my pre-baby size, I felt uncomfortable asking for new, smaller gear every few months. So I’ve just made do with what I have for as long as I can, even when it’s not ideal.
The reality is that quality products do exist but they’re just not always easy to find. Many women hesitate to ask for them, even though most employers would be more than willing to provide them. There’s still work to be done in creating an environment where people feel confident voicing their needs. After all, we can’t expect employers to anticipate every individual requirement without open communication.
Rules and laws really help get people talking and make these issues more visible which is a good thing. I have been lucky to have employers who were supportive, but I know that is not true for everyone. For companies that might hesitate to buy specialist gear to suit their staff’s needs, having clear rules in place makes a big difference.
Change takes time, but even small steps can help shift the culture and make people feel more included. That said, real progress needs more than just one action it takes a mix of changes and ongoing effort to help people feel they belong and want to stay in the sector. It is slow, but things do move forward as awareness grows. Often, it starts with one person leading the way on a site. That sets an example, and soon it becomes the norm then it spreads to other sites too.
Tune in to the first episode of The Engineer Exchange Podcast for an insightful discussion about the issue of ill-fitting PPE. Hear about our guests experiences and their thoughts on how we can provide better PPE not just for women, but for everyone.
The Engineer Exchange Podcast | "We are not little men" - The Epidemic of Women's PPE
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