EPU5: How to Enhance PPE Accessibility for Women in Various Industries
Mon, 6/1: 3:45 PM - 4:10 PM CDT
Pop-Up Education Sessions
Pop-Up Education Sessions
Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center
Room: Exhibit Hall, Booth 516
Description
This presentation will deliver an overview of PPE and challenges women face with fit, availability, and equitability. With the intention to discuss physical and psychosocial factors that impact PPE fit and what employers should keep in mind when choosing PPE for women, our discussion will offer valuable considerations to improve current exposure judgments, risk management, and PPE Program management.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a critical component of occupational safety, however, the efficacy of PPE depends entirely on proper selection and fit. The historical "shrink it and pink it" approach, simply downsizing men's gear for women, fails to account for physiological differences in body shape and size, while also creating safety inequities. This discussion explores how improper fit, driven by a failure to account for women's body shapes and sizes, undermines the protection offered by standard PPE; emphasizing the urgency and necessity for gender-specific protective clothing designs.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a critical component of occupational safety, however, the efficacy of PPE depends entirely on proper selection and fit. The historical "shrink it and pink it" approach, simply downsizing men's gear for women, fails to account for physiological differences in body shape and size, while also creating safety inequities. This discussion explores how improper fit, driven by a failure to account for women's body shapes and sizes, undermines the protection offered by standard PPE; emphasizing the urgency and necessity for gender-specific protective clothing designs.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion the participant will be able to:
• Recognize the importance of gender-specific PPE inclusion in their facility PPE Program, and the physical and psychosocial impacts fit of PPE may have on an employee population.
• Evaluate and apply anthropometric data when considering PPE for women.
• Recognize the importance of gender-specific PPE inclusion in their facility PPE Program, and the physical and psychosocial impacts fit of PPE may have on an employee population.
• Evaluate and apply anthropometric data when considering PPE for women.
Core Competencies
Personal Protective Equipment
Psychosocial hazards
Risk Management
Keywords
Personal protective equipment
Risk assessment and management
Safety
Session Availability
In-person
OnDemand
Targeted Audience
Professional