In various industrial work environments a major problem is the lack of style and design differences in men’s and women’s protective clothing. When specific types of workwear are necessary to support safe and effective job performances, women who work in occupations traditionally held by men often face limited choices.
In fact, in a 2016 study — conducted by Prospect, the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), Women into Science and Engineering (WISE), Trades Union Congress (TUC), and Institution of Mechanical Engineers Support Network — only 29 percent of the 3,086 women surveyed reported having PPE designed for their gender. Furthermore, 83 percent of the women surveyed reported that their PPE had, at least occasionally, hampered their work.