Personal Protective Equipment
Women may face health and safety risks because personal protective equipment and clothing are often designed for average-sized men. The protective function of respirators, work gloves, work boots, and other protective equipment may be reduced when they do not fit properly.
NIOSH publications that directly relate to personal protective equipment in working women include:
The effect of subject characteristics and respirator features on respirator
fit
Five methods used to test how well a respirator fit were compared using 18 models of NIOSH-certified, N95 filtering-face piece respirators. The test used simulations to look at the effect of participant characteristics (gender and face dimensions) and respirator features (design style and sizes available) on respirator fit. Based on the findings from this and other studies, measuring face length and width should be used to define the panel for half-face piece respirators.
Tradeswomen's perspectives on occupational health and safety: a qualitative
investigation
The major health and safety concerns of women employed in the construction trades are discussed. Researchers found the major concerns were: exposure to chemical and physical agents; injuries from lifting, bending, twisting, falling and being cut; lack of proper education and training; and health and safety risks related specifically to tradeswomen (inadequate protective clothing and tools, etc.).
For additional information about personal protective equipment that applies to male and female workers, check out these other NIOSH web pages:
Personal Protective Equipment