One of the most critical components of PPE is fit. A secure, comfortable fit helps increase worker safety and compliance. Adapting PPE designs so they can properly fit women, who are generally smaller than their male counterparts, is critical. A more slender style of protective eyewear, narrower ear plugs, and hand protection sized small, XS, or even XXS, should be evaluated to ensure the appropriate safety products are provided to the women on any workforce.
What Are the Safety Risks?
If you think about it, the average person doesn’t buy clothes or shoes without taking size into consideration. Similarly, we shouldn’t expect PPE to provide a universal fit. Safety products that do not fit workers properly can pose a safety risk. For example, loose-fitting gloves can make it difficult to securely grip or handle various objects. This can increase hand fatigue, cause objects to be dropped or mishandled, or the removal of the workers’ gloves, which effectively removes their protection and exposes their hands to injury.
Finding the appropriate sizes of PPE to properly outfit the entire workforce should be a key component of any safety program. Protective Industrial Products (PIP) continues to adapt and evaluate PPE designs, ensuring options are available to be able to properly fit all members of the workforce.
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