Canadian Occupational Safety

February/March 2017 25 to wear PPE that fi ts properly." But Woods had other concerns, too. When she fi rst went underground, she realized how diffi cult it was to use the bathroom in coveralls made for men. If there was a portable toilet, it was usually dirty, and she would have to take everything off. That problem led her to design her own pair. Then a close friend, also in the mining industry, saw them and asked Woods to make her a pair. Woods' design includes a rear opening, which makes for easier bathroom breaks and allows women to keep their coveralls cleaner. The feature is also hidden: Women's cov- eralls look identical to men's. The company is also manufacturing a wider range of PPE for women: safety gloves, bibs, cargo pants and shirts. WHEN SMALLER SIZES WON'T DO Gordon Leffl ey, duty consultant at Mississauga, Ont.-based Workplace Safety and Prevention Ser vices, fi rst confronted the limitations of standard-sized PPE when, as safety co-ordinator at a food plant in Ontario in the 1980s, he introduced a safety glasses program. He then learned that not everyone's face is shaped so they can wear glasses that come in a box. The different shapes of noses, cheekbones and chins make it diffi cult to wear the equipment safely, comfortably and properly. "Our experience with PPE taught us the theory that one-size-fi ts-all means 'doesn't fi t anyone right,'" he says. Safety goggles that don't fi t a nar- rower face leave gaps in the seal against the face, which can allow fl ying debris, chemicals or sparks to go past the goggles and enter the worker's eyes. The difficulty reappeared with respiratory protective equipment, Lef- fl ey says, which was not compatible with many women's bone structure. One woman maintenance worker, who had to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus to work on an ammonia compressor, couldn't get the breathing apparatus to fi t at all. In the end, she had to be taken off the task. "With respirator y equipment, proper fi t is essential," he says. "The face masks absolutely require a proper seal, and if the equipment cannot be adjusted to create that proper seal, you're going to have a problem." One item of PPE where women's different needs are often overlooked is hearing protection, Leffl ey says. Companies should offer employees several different kinds and allow a trial period. "There are several types of fi tted hearing protection available that some people fi nd very, very uncom- fortable. And most of the insertable types are designed around the standard ear canal, which not everyone has." Although there are many designs of safety shoes and boots for women on the market today, there are not as many options with steel toes and reinforced shank for women as for men. Women's feet tend to be not only smaller but also a little narrower, so it can be diffi cult to get a proper fi t. Boots that are too large can cause trip- ping, slipping and falling, as well as blisters and burn- ing soles. Moreover, the worker's toes may not be protected by the steel cap on the boots. Just as fi nding gloves in the right size was a problem, Charette also had diffi culty fi nding safety glasses that fi t properly. Glasses and goggles typi- cally came in one size and were made for men. "None of the glasses would stay on my face, no matter how hard I tried," she says, adding more glasses are available in smaller sizes now. "They actually stay on my face and don't fog up because of their massive size." Chris Roddelt, journeyperson car- penter and carpentry instructor at Women Building Futures, agrees the need to use men's PPE created many safety issues in the past. She would often take her safety gloves off and forget to put them back on again because they provided no dexterity and made the task more diffi cult to perform. In her experience, too, cer- tain types of equipment — such as harnesses and respirators — were not made for women to wear and prop- erly fi tting ones were, until recently, almost impossible to fi nd. Today, although women working in trades certainly have more choices, they may still opt to wear men's small sizes. Coveralls and other safety clothing made specifi cally for women tend to be more tailored, Roddelt says. "It's not sometimes practical at all in the working world. You need room to be able to bend over and fl ex, and some of the clothing that are specifi cally made for women don't work well." Part of the problem, Charette adds, is manufacturers' assumptions about women's shape. "They assume every woman is an hour-glass shape. So, they think you need a ton of room in the hip area, for example, which is not necessary true," she says. "A men's small may fi t perfectly." Some manufacturers have also gone for pink, a feature that women don't want, Charette says. "They assume that because I am a woman in the trades I want to wear pink. I don't. I don't want to stand out; I'm one of the crew." Moreover, women's PPE is usu- ally more expensive than men's. That extra cost, Charette says, makes companies less willing to buy it and makes workers who have to pay for their own PPE less willing to pay for it — even if they prefer the women's version. "If I have to buy my own or take what the company supplies me, I'm going to take what the company supplies me, just in a smaller size because that smaller size is in fact available now." In many locations, too, PPE designed for women is not available locally but must be purchased online, requiring much more time and effort, Roddelt says. "You order something that you think might fi t and you're willing to pay the price, but if you have to return it two or three times to get the right fi t, it's not worth the time." Generally, Charette and Roddelt agree, there are far more options available to women today. Buying work boots, for example, is much easier today than in 1995, when Cha- rette was starting her training, in Fort McMurray, Alta. "Women's boots were unheard of. I had to purchase a men's size 6, so I had the choice of about three dif- ferent pairs," says Charette, adding that now, she only needs to go to one store to fi nd a dozen options specifi - cally for women and all available in women's sizes. "That, right there," she says, "is a testament to how our numbers are growing and the effect we're having on the workforce, which is fantastic." Linda Johnson is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. She can be reached at lindajohnson@sympatico.ca. Because the female body is built differently than a man's, female workers need to make sure their personal protective equipment fi ts them properly to ensure safety. ■ HARD HATS AND CAPS Check if the hat feels too heavy. If it does, try another brand. Adding a chin-strap to a hard hat or cap provides a better fi t and helps it stay on. ■ SAFETY GLASSES AND GOGGLES Non-prescription safety glasses can create diffi culties for a worker with a small face: glasses may be too wide across, too long at the temple and too big in the bridge area, causing them to slide down the nose and fall off. Provide a variety of glasses for workers to choose from. Goggles that state "one size fi ts all" may be too large for a woman's face and can allow objects, fl uids or other hazardous materials to enter through gaps in the seals. Fogging of the lenses (from poor ventilation) is common and can lead to accidents. ■ EARPLUGS Disposable, foam-type earplugs, which adapt to different ear canal sizes, are more likely to fi t women. Pre-moulded types tend to be less comfortable. ■ SAFETY GLOVES Make sure a glove's fi nger-length, width and palm circumference match those of female hands. ■ SAFETY BOOTS Make sure the boot/shoe fi ts comfortably but snugly around the heel and ankle areas when laced. It should also fi t comfortably at the ball of the foot. ■ SAFETY CLOTHING Modifying protective clothing can be dangerous. For example, rolling up excessively long sleeves or pants can create excess bulk, which can increase the risk of being caught in machinery. This is especially true when working in areas where space is limited. standard ear canal, which not everyone has." Although there are many designs of safety shoes and boots for women on the market today, there are not as many options with steel toes and reinforced shank for women as for men. Women's feet tend to be not only smaller but also a little narrower, so it can be diffi cult to get a Boots that are too large can cause trip- ping, slipping and falling, as well as blisters and burn- ing soles. Moreover, the worker's toes may not be protected by the steel cap Because the female body is built Because the female body is built differently than a man's, female workers need to make sure their workers need to make sure their workers need to make sure their workers need to make sure their personal protective equipment fi ts personal protective equipment fi ts them properly to ensure safety. HARD HATS AND CAPS Check if the hat feels too heavy. If it does, try another brand. Adding a chin-strap to a hard hat or cap provides a better fi t and helps ■ SAFETY GLASSES AND GOGGLES standard ear canal, which Although there are many designs of safety shoes and boots for women on the market today, there are not as many options with steel toes and reinforced shank for women as for men. Women's feet tend to be not only smaller but also a little narrower, so it can be diffi cult to get a Boots that are too large can cause trip- ing soles. Moreover, the worker's toes Because the female body is built differently than a man's, female workers need to make sure their personal protective equipment fi ts personal protective equipment fi ts them properly to ensure safety. them properly to ensure safety. them properly to ensure safety. ■ ■ HARD HATS AND CAPS HARD HATS AND CAPS Check if the hat feels too heavy. If it does, try another brand. Check if the hat feels too heavy. If it does, try another brand. Adding a chin-strap to a hard hat or cap provides a better fi t and helps it stay on. Source: Personal Protective Equipment for Women: Addressing the Need (2006) by the Ontario Women's Directorate and the Industrial Accident Prevention Association tips for women PPE fi t, it's not worth the time." fi t, it's not worth the time." Modifying protective clothing can be dangerous. For example, rolling Modifying protective clothing can be dangerous. For example, rolling up excessively long sleeves or pants can create excess bulk, which can up excessively long sleeves or pants can create excess bulk, which can up excessively long sleeves or pants can create excess bulk, which can up excessively long sleeves or pants can create excess bulk, which can increase the risk of being caught in machinery. This is especially increase the risk of being caught in machinery. This is especially increase the risk of being caught in machinery. This is especially increase the risk of being caught in machinery. This is especially increase the risk of being caught in machinery. This is especially increase the risk of being caught in machinery. This is especially true when working in areas where space is limited. true when working in areas where space is limited.

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