THE PROBLEM WITH PPE
One method of managing hazards such as noise or chemicals, is through the use of PPE
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PPE is seen as the last line of defence against a hazard due to its effectiveness being dependent on 3 factors:
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1. PPE is worn consistently
2. PPE is form fitting
3. PPE is worn correctly
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If any or all three of these criteria are not met, the effectiveness of PPE is significantly reduced
COMPLIANCE
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If PPE is not worn, then it cannot offer protection
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Studies have found that only 34% of hospital staff wore appropriate PPE while another revealed that 82% of safety professionals witnessed staff not wearing PPE
Each day in the United States there are 2,000 work related eye injuries but 90% of these injuries could be prevented if PPE was worn
With PPE's ability to reduce injuries at such a rate it begs the question as to why individuals are not wearing PPE
The Answer? Poor fit and discomfort
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Poor fit and discomfort
Poor fitting PPE and discomfort reduce PPE compliance with one group being disproportionately affected, women
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With only 8% of women wearing PPE that is designed for women, it should not be a surprise that women do not find PPE comfortable
3 in 5 women report that their PPE is very uncomfortable or uncomfortable and over 60% of women reporting that their PPE hampers their ability to work
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But why does PPE fit women so poorly and cause discomfort? Because of the hidden male bias in PPE design.
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HIDDEN MALE BIAS
Average human measurements are used when making products from determining the maximum usable size of a phone screen to the safety of cars
However, the measurements used to represent the entire population are those of an average 23-30 year old Caucasian man weighing 70kg who has been accurately dubbed ‘Reference Man’
As a result of ‘Reference Man’, women are not only ignored when it comes to product design but are actively put in harm’s way
The use of ‘Reference Man’ crash test dummies when testing car safety means that in a car crash, women are 47% more likely than men to be seriously injured and 17% more likely to die
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So what makes men and women so different? Explore the next page to find out!
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1. Kimberly-Clark (2012) Alarming Numbers of Workers Fail to Wear Required Protective Equipment. Available at: https://investor.kimberly-clark.com/static-files/3401e897-546e-4670-ad85-7d8fd470a71f
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2. Katanami, Y., Kayakawa, K., Shimazaki, T., Sugiki, Y., Takaya, S., Yamamoto, K., Kutsuna, Y., Kato, Y. & Ohmagari, N. (2018) ‘Adherence to contact precautions by different types of healthcare workers through video monitoring in a tertiary hospital’, Journal of Hospital Infection, 100(1), 70-75.
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3. American Academy of Ophthalmology (2017) Ophthalmologists Say 90 Percent of Work-Related Eye Injuries Can Be Avoided by Wearing Eye Protection. Available at: https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/90-percent-of-work-related-eye-injuries-avoidable
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4. Women’s Engineering Society (2010) A survey of women and men in the science, engineering, technology and built environment about their experience with person protective equipment. Available at: https://www.wes.org.uk/sites/default/files/WES%20safety%20survey%20results%20March%202010.pdf
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5. Perez, C. C. (2019) Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. London: Chatto & Windus.