b"WORKPLACE SAFETYcutitbecausewomenshandsarebuilt differently. If you look at hips and waistlines duringpregnancy,womenmayhaveto upsize two times, notes Dibling. They have to compromise, and the cuffs or sleeves may be too long. Women spend money to get things altered.PPEthatsmadeforwomenisclearly asafetyissueonconstructionsites.But Giroux feels its also a sign of gender bias in the skilled trades. As long as we have the perception that the supervisor has to go the extra mile to get PPE made for women, thatgenderbiaswillcontinue,shesays. Women are not going to put themselves in that position.Gender bias also shows up in other ways. At some of our sites, weve built a womens Employers continue to face numerous challenges accessing PPE specifically manufactured for women bathroom and shower. Although the men haveashower,theresaperceptionthat female showers are an extra thing, Giroux explains.Therearealreadychallengesin WorkingatheightsmaybethemostAnotherkeyissue?Smallmenssizesmaking the skilled trades enticing to women. dangerous situation that can impact womenarentthesameasPPEthatismadeforaThese levels of gender bias may present an wearing improperly fitting PPE. Such falls,womansbody.Inovertwodecadesintheadded layer of obstacles to women wanting as Giroux notes, are the number one causeindustry, Giroux has yet to see a harness that isto enter the sector. of industrial fatalities in Canada. Giroux hasspecifically designed for women with breasts. seen coverall cuffs so long that they becomeMen often complain about wearing harnesses,SOLUTIONStrip hazards, and the lack of properly sizedeventhoughtheyaredesignedforthem.Ensuringthatwomengetproperlyfitting steel-toed boots (mandatory on work sites)Imagine the discomfort that a female workerPPE sounds so simple. But clearly, that isnt further puts women at risk of injury.wearing an improperly fitting harness enduresthe case. What could different stakeholders Glovesthataretoobiggetcaughtinduring an eight-hour day up on a roof.do to improve the situation?machines and conveyor belts. Hard hats fallWhenitcomestohigh-qualityleatherGirouxwantstoseelogisticalchanges off. Safety glasses that dont fit fog up andgloves to work with chains, lifting or riggingon the suppliers end so that its not such they cant see properly, Dibling says. Mostequipment, a mens Extra Small just doesnta big issue to order PPE made for women, PPE standards are not gender neutral, theyre gender blind. The challenge is that women arent wearing it properly, or just dont wear it at all.UNIQUE CHALLENGESEvenwhenemployersarecommittedto providingtheirfemaleemployeeswith properlyfittingPPE,theyfacenumerous challengesaccessingtherightitems.The hardestthingisfindinggood,affordable PPEthatsdesignedforwomen.Itsstill not mainstream, says Giroux. We want to acknowledge that we have more women inSUNROCK CANADA BUILDING MATERIALSthe trades, but people still treat womens PPE like a special order. Sunrock Canada Locations: www.thesunrockgroup.comUXBRIDGE BURNT RIVER FENELON FALLSAt Lafarge Canada, safety boots must be4695 Brock Road 2638 Kawartha Lakes 85 Industrial Park Dr.eight inches. But there are only two kinds ofUxbridge, ON County Rd. 121 Fenelon Falls, ONsafety boots made for women that meet these criteria and that dont weigh 14 pounds each.Call 905-649-6222 Call 705-454-0836 Call 705-887-3432When ordering high-visibility materials forAggregates Aggregates Ready-Mix Concretewomen, Giroux frequently encounters longROCK. IT'S THE MAIN INGREDIENT.wait times and substantial price markups. FALL 2023AVENUES 23"