Safety Products for a Diverse Workforce
- Oct 26, 2022, 01:46 PM
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Personal Protective Equipment for a Diverse Workforce Fits the Times
Historically, safety products were designed to fit the designer or the designer’s concept of the wearer or user. That meant that since industrial designers and industrial workers were primarily male demographics, products were designed for male workers using historical anthropometric data that doesn’t fully reflect modern body frames. A lack of diversity on the committees that write the regulations and develop the standards has unintended consequences limiting PPE for women, people of different body types and sizes, or workers of different ethnic backgrounds.
Meeting the Safety Challenge of a Diverse Workforce -
Communication
It has become increasingly commonplace to see safety signage, including government-mandated signs and posters, in multiple languages reflecting the diversity of the workforce. But what about formal safety training and informal tailgate or toolbox conversations? Are supervisors sensitive to the need for effective communication?
PPE For a Diverse Workforce
A CDC study on safety and health protection issues in construction noted (1) PPE/PPC (respirators, gloves, work boots) are mostly designed to fit average-sized men, and (2) When PPE/PPC don’t fit, the protection offered is reduced. “They gave me gloves so humongous; I couldn’t even pick anything up...You can be hurt...that glove could get wrapped up in a fan belt.”
PPE For a Diverse Workforce – Safety Eyewear
Just as head shapes vary significantly, safety eyewear must be designed to fit properly for effective protection. Historically, safety eyewear had adjustable temples to adapt to the distance from the face to the ear but did not account for head shapes. Fast forward to today when safety eyewear is available for narrow faces, round faces, and for women.
PPE For a Diverse Workforce – Respiratory Protection
Proper fit for respiratory protection is especially critical. OSHA requires that respirators be fit-tested to ensure suitable protection. This can be challenging because many filtering-facepiece (disposable) respirators come in one size only or in a standard and a small size, although one manufacturer offers filtering-facepiece respirators for faces with a low-profile nose bridge. Elastomeric facepiece air-purifying respirators are available in different sizes although sizes and shapes may differ among brands. That is why the OSHA fit-testing procedures clearly state that “The test subject shall be allowed to pick the most acceptable respirator from a sufficient number of respirator models and sizes so that the respirator is acceptable to, and correctly fits, the user.” The International Organization for Standardization recently launched a project to produce a set of standards that reflect current research on face shapes by race and gender.
PPE For a Diverse Workforce – Hand Protection
Industrial hand protection styles and designs have evolved from simply large (men’s) and small (women’s) to numbered sizes that provide a better, and thereby safer, fit. ANSI/ISEA 105-2016, the Hand Protection Classification Standard, includes a dexterity rating and mentions, “Select gloves of the appropriate size that provides the right fit, function, and comfort for the application. Glove suitability may be determined in exercises where workers evaluate how well gloves provide needed protection, comfort, and functionality in activities simulating use.”
PPE For a Diverse Workforce – Protective Clothing and Footwear
Since protective clothing is generally not designed to be tight-fitting, a good guide is the general size requirements for limited-use and disposable coveralls found in ANSI/ISEA 101-2014. However, daily workwear is designed to be gender-specific to account for different body shapes.
Daily Work Practices
PPE sitting on the shelf offers no protection at all. Poor-fitting PPE can lead to lower compliance which reduces the effectiveness of a safety program. OSHA makes this very clear by stating “Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head,...Select PPE that properly fits each affected employee.”
Connect with Saf-T-Gard to Learn More
Industrial safety is our legacy going back 9 decades. For an overview of our capabilities and to start a conversation on how we can supply best-in-class products for your diverse workforce, please visit Saf-T-Gard.