By Elizabeth Johnston

Last week, we observed that there are more women than ever before working in occupations traditionally dominated by men. Today, let's look at one of the implications of that socio-economic phenomenon: the growing demand for safety protective work clothing and equipment designed for the female worker.

The Need for Equipment Tailored to the Female

News flash: Women's bodies are different from men's.

Okay, so this isn't really news. But one can be forgiven for believing that there is at least one group that doesn't seem to have gotten the message: The major manufacturers of uniforms and protective equipment. With a handful of exceptions, these companies have made little effort to offer separate production lines, or to redesign their products to accommodate the female form.

For example, your basic coveralls are designed for a man's body. But women tend to be larger than men in the hips and bust but smaller in the waist. Consequently, women have a hard time finding coveralls that fit right. When a woman is lucky enough to find coveralls that fit her hips, she often feels like she's drowning because the top is too large-fitting and the sleeves are too long. Conversely, when the top fits, the hips tend to be too tight.

Unisex Isn't Working

Of course, there is a lot of unisex clothing and equipment on the market. Unfortunately, unisex isn't the answer. Quite simply, unisex work clothing and PPE is not based on female patterns.

In fact, the word "unisex" is camouflage. It's nothing more than superficial accommodation to women's requirements in the work place. In my view, the word "unisex" is just a piece of politically correct jargon designed to reassure the supplier and buyer and relieve them of the burden of looking deeper for workable solutions to the challenge of outfitting the female worker.

The Implications

These are not frivolous concerns. Employers need to recognize that they pay a price when their female workers aren't properly outfitted to do their jobs. Ill-fitting work clothes and equipment isn't just about comfort. It's a matter of morale and productivity. Most importantly, it's a matter of safety. This is particularly true of personal protective equipment whose effectiveness relies on an appropriate fit.

Moreover, the failure to provide properly fitting clothing and PPE is a liability issue. The Occupational Health and Safety laws in both the U.S. and Canada require employers to take every reasonable precaution to protect their workers. They also include specific requirements regarding PPE. Making women wear gear designed for men - or even unisex - arguably falls short of these standards.

Conclusion

To be fair, the burden of resolving this problem shouldn't fall only on the employer's shoulders. Women have an obligation to step up and voice their dissatisfaction with improperly fitting clothing. Unfortunately, many women shy away from this. One reason for such reticence is the fear of being fired, disciplined, labeled a "troublemaker" or subjected to other forms of discrimination.

Next week, in Part 3 of this series, we'll take a look at potential solutions to the problem of outfitting women to perform jobs traditionally dominated by men.

HEROES OF WORKPLACE SAFETY

Eleanor Roosevelt: First lady, diplomat, union member and safety advocate.

Niece of one President, husband of another, Eleanor Roosevelt was born into wealth and privilege. But she didn't act like it. All her life, she championed society's poor, sick and disadvantaged.

Mrs. Roosevelt became an advocate of organized labor early in life. She first learned about wages and working conditions while doing volunteer work for the Rivington Street Settlement House in the lower east side of Manhattan at the turn of the century. She joined the National Womens' Trade Union League in 1922 and introduced her husband, Franklin, to leaders of the womens' trade union movement.

Mrs. Roosevelt was a consistent advocate of workplace safety and other union issues while serving as first lady from 1932 to her husband's death in April 1945. Mrs. Roosevelt didn't leave public life after she left the White House. On the contrary, she became America's representative to the newly created United Nations where she was one of the principal authors of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unanymously ratified by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the Declaration, among other things, says that all people should be guaranteed the right to earn a living "in a safe working environment."

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