The Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk are providing 43 different construction firms with nearly 300 packages of safety gear in sizes designed to better fit women. The two organizations launched and funded this effort to address challenges some firms are having in finding proper-fitting personal protective equipment, or PPE for short, for some of their employees, including women.
“One of the most effective ways to recruit women and men into high-paying construction careers is to make sure firms are able to provide safety equipment that fits,” said Jeffrey Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “More broadly, we are seeking to encourage safety equipment manufacturers to provide gear in a wider range of sizes that accommodate workers of many different body types.”
The association and Autodesk asked construction firms to apply for the kits and selected the first 43 qualifying applications they received. A complete list of recipients is here. The groups sent 290 PPE package containing proper-fitting glasses, gloves and safety vests to the 43 firms. Together, AGC and Autodesk invested $50,000 in the effort.
A fit for women
More broadly, the association and technology firm developed this initiative as a way to encourage manufacturers of personal protective equipment to produce gear in a wider variety of sizes, particularly sizes that fit women and smaller-sized men. They noted that while PPE comes in many large sizes, it can be hard to find gloves, vest and safety glasses for smaller frames.
“Every construction worker should have access to the resources and tools they need to excel in their roles,” said Angi Izzi, Autodesk’s Senior Director – Global Construction Partnerships. “Providing properly fitting PPE brings us one step closer toward fostering a safer and more supportive environment for all workers, and Autodesk is proud to be a part of this initiative that is driving positive change for the industry.”
Distributing proper-fitting safety equipment kits is part of the association’s broader efforts to improve construction safety and health, officials noted. They added that the association continues to push for safer highway work zones and tougher highway work zone safety laws. AGC is also working to address the many mental health and suicide risk factors that affect our workers.
They added that the association is encouraging firms to acquire and be ready to use Naloxone so they have a life-saving tool to deploy when someone might be overdosing. In addition, the association is supporting both the annual Construction Suicide Prevention Week that takes place early each September and Construction Safety Week, a nationwide, industry-led safety week takes place every May.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
