Access to properly fitting personal protective equipment for female construction workers

Background: Previous literature suggests that most personal protective equipment (PPE) for construction is designed for males and does not accommodate female anthropometry. We conducted a pilot study to identify whether female construction workers currently have adequate access to properly fitting PPE. Methods: Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with union female carpenters, laborers, and ironworkers. Researchers coded focus group transcriptions and extracted major themes using thematic framework analysis. Results: Participants (n = 23) had a mean of 15.1 years of construction experience (range 3–34.5 years). A majority reported fit problems for many types of PPE (gloves, harnesses, safety vests, work boots, outerwear), generally noting that the equipment provided by contractors was too large. Other emergent themes included female workers purchasing their own PPE, exposure to various safety hazards from poorly fitted PPE, and perceived indifferent safety culture. Conclusions: Female construction workers continue to have difficulty accessing properly fitting PPE. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:1032–1040, 2016.