Why gender-specific workwear is a must for any industry

Thanks to new graduate schemes and greater emphasis being placed upon equal opportunities for all in a wide range of sectors, more and more women are being counted amongst the ranks of workers employed within traditionally male-centric industries including engineering, construction and haulage.

Statistics from late 2019 show that women made up 3% of workers in manual trades, 5% in engineering, 8% in haulage and 12% in professional construction-related professional roles.

Although these figures may seem small, when you consider the construction sector is one of the biggest employers in the UK, these percentages equate to thousands of female workers. Each of those workers require the same level of safety and protection as their male counterparts.

Luckily, brands like Tecwear and White Knight are paving the way for gender-specific PPE and workwear. They recognise the need for protective workwear that offers adequate levels of protection for any task.

Cited as one of the main hazards for women working in construction, poorly fitting workwear can cause a multitude of issues for female employees including sleeve lengths that are too long and can become caught in machinery, trousers that require belts due to large waistbands designed for men only and overalls that have measurements suited to the male form that can cause slips and trips while working.

Hardhats, gloves and other pieces of common PPE equipment that can be found on most construction sites also come under scrutiny as they have been developed for a male-only workforce, and this only goes to highlight the importance of gender-specific workwear.

As women are carrying out the same tasks as their male colleagues, all employers must be able to provide them with the same levels of protective workwear and PPE to help safeguard their health and wellbeing while staying on the right side of the law.

Experts and educational institutes are already reporting an increase in interest for construction and engineering-related trades from both mature students and young women looking to take their first steps along the career path. The number of women working in industry are expected to explode over the next few years as barriers to entry start to fall and attitudes continue to change.

As champions for women in industry, Wearwell is proud to supply a wide range of gender-specific workwear items that offer excellent protection, including polo shirts, coats, trousers and unisex accessories to suit any task.

For more information on gender-specific workwear, call the Wearwell team on 01827 63651.