Skanska has developed custom-built safety vests tailored to women’s sizes for use on construction sites. The personal protection equipment (PPE) will soon be available to Skanska employees nationwide, and throughout the industry. Two of its new customized vests launched on May 6, alongside the start of this year’s National Construction Safety Week.
Although PPE designed for a female’s body does exist, it is not overly popular or widely used. Aiming to promote inclusive, injury-free jobs sites, Skanska decided to test protective vests on project sites to solicit feedback on fit, accessories, and material.
After meeting with dozens of women employees, Skanska partnered with Colony Hardware and Radians to create a full line of off-the-shelf PPE tailored to women.
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the number of women working in construction trades increased by 17.6 percent between 2017 and 2018.
“All of our employees and subcontractors should be outfitted with the safest personal protective equipment possible. Nothing matters more to us than safety,” Jarrett Milligan, Skanska VP, said in a press release.
Source: Skanska
