Is Your Workwear and PPE Provider Offering An Inclusive Product Range?

Today’s ever evolving workplace has revealed that more women are now working in formerly male-dominated industries and environments. Government figures show that In the UK, 16.06 million women aged 16 and over were in employment in the last quarter of 2023, an increase of 75,000 more women being employed than the previous year. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), during the period from April to June 2023, 15.8% of the workforce in the construction industry were women. This upward trend in female representation is a positive sign for the industry’s diversity and future growth.

This means there is an ever growing need to have a full range of comfortable, versatile and high quality protective clothing designed specifically for the needs of women to ensure they are kept as safe, and enabled to work as effectively, as their male colleagues when on site.

Workwear Designed For Women

Some manufacturers have responded to this issue and made it a key priority to address this imbalance in the workwear industry. For example, Leo Workwear (one of Clad Safety’s key suppliers) have worked hard to develop a wide range of female specific garments. Comfort and ergonomic design are key considerations when looking to provide for female workers, and catering for maternity requirements is an important factor. Extensive wearer trials and fitting reviews have been conducted, enabling Leo to bring to market a stylish, yet practical, collection of high performance garments perfect for the modern female workforce.

 

Maternity Garments

There is also an increasing demand for maternity garments, to allow pregnant women to continue with their job comfortably. Tranemo, another of our innovative partners, has developed the stretch trouser style below (left), which has a buttonhole elastic at the top allowing for different stages of pregnancy. The trousers also have specific stretch areas and a wide elastic band in the back.

Women’s Arc Flash Clothing

In addition to women’s high visibility garments, the safety industry is beginning to see more inclusivity in arc flash product ranges. Not long ago, the workwear options for those working near electrical and arc hazards were very limited. Now, there is a massive range of arc flash clothing, and female wearers can choose the exact fit, colour, safety rating and size they need.

 

Religious and Cultural Items

Availability of PPE for everyone working in hazardous environments is of paramount importance, regardless of their faith or gender. Tranemo have developed a flame retardant headscarf (below) which can be worn as a hijab or turban. Pulsar, another of our brand partners, are now selling a thermal hijab that offer great protection from the cold. Additionally, high visibility modesty tunics are now available so female workers with certain religious beliefs can still remain safe and visible. Finally, our emergency services division HeroQuip, is the awarded supplier of uniform kippahs and ready-to-wear hijabs under the National Ambulance Uniform contract.

         

 

Is Your Safety Equipment Supplier Offering An Inclusive Product Range?

Do you source your PPE and workwear from a company with stock readily available for female staff? And do they offer religious and cultural garments to cater for all team members? If not, there is something seriously amiss. The situation where a key constituent of the workforce is struggling to source the required PPE and equipment to keep them safe and comfortable at work, should never arise again.

In some extreme cases, legal liability is also a possibility. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA), employers have a duty to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees at work, and must also comply with the 1992 Personal Protective Equipment at Work regulations (PPE Regulations). A breach of these regulations may be considered a criminal act under section 33 of the HSWA, and employers failing to provide adequate PPE may face legal action, including hefty fines and damage to their reputation.

(However it must be remembered that, as in all important matters pertaining to work and employment, specific legal advice should always be sought from legal professionals.)

 

If you’re involved in the procurement of uniform and are concerned about the lack of product offering for diverse teams, Clad Safety are ready to help. We solve these problems by offering a wide range of inclusive garments, so that managers and labourers alike can have peace of mind that every team member is kept safe to an equal level of protection.

Do not let an inferior offering obstruct you in your mission for safety, diversity and inclusivity.

Call our friendly team today on 01423 881266 or email us at [email protected].