How #PPEthatfits has driven change in the industry

Almost two years ago, seven women working in the built environment gathered in central London to launch a major campaign, backed by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

The #PPEthatfits campaign set out to raise awareness about the lack of access to inclusive PPE in the industry.

The campaign challenges the ‘pink it and shrink it’ strategy adopted by many construction suppliers and contractors by stressing that having properly fitting PPE is not a ‘fashion show’ but rather an essential health and safety issue.

Since the launch in July 2023, #PPEthatfits has:

#PPEthatfits has also given a platform to workers in construction who do not have access to compliant PPE, providing an opportunity for them to share their experiences and the impact that ill-fitting PPE has had on their careers and lives.

“When I decided to highlight the issue of properly fitting PPE during my presidency of the CIOB in 2023-2024, it was against a history of good intentions but glacial progress,” says CIOB past president Sandi Rhys Jones OBE, FCIOB, who spearheaded the #PPEthatfits campaign.

“I have spent some 30 years working to make the built environment a safe and rewarding place for everyone, regardless of gender, age, background, belief, size and shape.

“So, it is tremendous to see the impetus that has taken place over the past 20 months, from the first roundtable convened in July 2023 and hosted by CIOB People.”  

Helen Gawor, group strategy and business development director at Severfield attended the 2023 roundtable in her previous role as director of strategy and innovation at ISG.

She tells CIOB People that #PPEthatfits has been “a tipping point” for getting decision-makers in the built environment to see inclusive PPE as a health and safety issue.

“There is now palpable momentum and a much wider understanding of why wearing PPE that fits is a safety, not an aesthetic, issue,” says Gawor.

“The clarity of ‘why’ this is needed had been missing previously but has helped the conversation move on from it just being about women, but also anyone who would benefit from non-standard issue PPE – including men.

“There is evidence that men benefit from working in inclusive environments too, after all!”

The positive influence of #PPEthatfits has also been felt by Sophie Perkins, a principal chartered building surveyor at AtkinsRéalis, who has worked with PPE manufacturers to develop safety shoes for women.

“The initial impact was the power of the women who came together that day,” says Perkins. “I was able to meet important women making a difference in this arena and we were able to make change happen quicker rather than working in silos.

“Sandi’s work and focus on this area has been amazing. To pick one example, the #PPEthatfits website has allowed me to point people in the right direction for women’s PPE, where it brings all the items together.”

Perkins adds that after the 2023 launch roundtable, she saw “a real issue” with big PPE suppliers who think ‘unisex’ PPE equals PPE made for women. “We have been able to put pressure on these companies to do better,” she says.

Since then, Perkins has been working with safety footwear manufacturer Amblers Safety to design new heavy-duty shoes for women in the Sophie Collection.

New BSI standard

One of the campaign’s greatest achievements has been engaging with the BSI towards the development of BS 30417, a new standard for the procurement and provision of inclusive PPE across all sectors, including the built environment.

BS 30417 will guide employers, manufacturers and suppliers to make informed decisions about PPE which, in turn, will help to improve safety, recruitment and staff retention.

“Partnering with the BSI to develop guidelines and a standard on PPE that is fit for purpose has been the icing on the cake,” says Rhys Jones.

“Little did I know when I met Stephanie Eynon [BSI head of standards-makers engagement and inclusion, who attended the #PPEthatfits launch] at an industry event a few years back that we would be joining forces to help drive change.

“It’s a wonderful example of the power of networking, collaboration and commitment.” 

“BSI has engaged with more than 30 individuals for over six months, including end users, health and safety professionals and manufacturers, to discuss and draft the proposed PPE standard.

Sara Gibbs, a standards development manager at BSI who, with BSI’s BS 30417 drafting panel chair, Natalie Wilson, has been closely involved in the development of the standard.

She says that end users were placed at the heart of the process to ensure that the guidance is shaped by people’s real-world experiences and challenges.

Gibbs explains: “By listening to those who rely on PPE daily, we have created a standard that is both practical and impactful.

“By embedding the principles of BS 30417 into industry practice, we can drive meaningful change, ensuring PPE is fit for all users and improving workplace safety for everyone.”

Katherine Evans, an inclusive PPE specialist, is the founder of Bold as Brass, a group that defines itself as a “women’s equity tribe for heavy industry folks”.

She agrees that BSI’s involvement in #PPEthatfits is the biggest win of the 2023 roundtable, and praises Gibbs and Wilson for their relentless efforts in solving the PPE inadequacy problem.

“We have been able to produce BS 30417 in record time. A lot of that is down to Sara and Natalie having end-user experience in wearing PPE and the discrimination marginalised groups face in heavy industry – they know what it feels like to be us,” says Evans.

She was one of the masterminds behind the #PPEthatfits directory and is a leading voice for inclusive PPE and positive change in heavy industries.

In February, BSI launched a six-week public consultation calling on people and organisations affected by this issue to review the proposed standard and provide feedback before its expected publication later this year.

Following the public consultation period, all feedback will be collated into a single document and reviewed by a panel.

Evans sees the BSI document as the first step towards achieving PPE suitable for every worker in any industry. This should be followed by the creation of a “PPE certification of understanding”, she adds, to be used by anyone wanting to sell, buy or determine which PPE is required.

“Step three would be the HSE enforcing the regulations of L25 (the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992) because, to me, falling off a ladder to your death as a result of ill-fitting safety footwear has the same human toll as death by silicosis.”

Gibbs says that #PPEthatfits “has been instrumental in raising awareness” about the PPE issue across the industry.

Being part of a movement involving individuals, organisations, academia, manufacturers and trade media to create positive change in UK construction but also in other industries and abroad has been “heady stuff”, admits Rhys Jones.

She credits everyone involved in #PPEthatfits for the progress achieved, particularly the women who led the roundtable and entrepreneurs manufacturing inclusive PPE. “It’s good to see that the people who stepped up to the plate are being recognised too.”

Evans emphasises that change is happening thanks to the work and different campaigns that have centred around this issue over the past years, not just #PPEthatfits.

“Without the work of different individuals and groups like the Women’s Engineering Society, the National Association of Women in Construction, Katy Robinson MCIOB, [The Safety Rack founder] Amy Roosa, Sophie Perkins, Bold as Brass, among others, as well as the pro-equity PPE brands sinking money into intersectional development, we wouldn’t be seeing as much PPE available or the topic spoken about as frequently,” Evans adds.

Gawor concludes with the reminder that this is a health and safety issue and should not be seen as an ‘add-on’ to PPE standards.

“The holy grail is that we can drop words like inclusive and diverse to describe the move to ensure that PPE fits everyone.

“This is less about diversity and more about reminding the industry what PPE is: protective equipment that is personal – giving everyone an equal chance of being safe in the environment they work in.”