Women make up a small but important part of the construction workforce. They face challenges such as finding personal protective equipment (PPE) that fits properly, restroom and sanitation access, and discrimination.
The following resources contain information for women in construction:
- CPWR’s “Personal Protective Equipment for Women Construction Workers” provides a quick reference to help women find PPE that fits and protects
Other Resources
- NAWIC-OSHA Alliance: “Portable Toilet and Sanitation Best Practices for Women in Construction” handout of best practices for employers to improve bathroom access and sanitation
- Trades Union Congress (United Kingdom): “Personal Protective Equipment for Women” resource for workplace representatives on ensuring a safe fit of PPE for women
- Ontario Women’s Directorate & Industrial Accident Prevention Association: “Personal Protective Equipment for Women: Addressing the Need” a detailed publication on the lack of adequate PPE, including a directory that lists some manufacturers and suppliers who meet the PPE needs of women workers
- North Carolina Department of Labor: “Women in Construction ” a poster with requirements and best practices for PPE, sanitation, training, ergonomics, and workplace culture
Other studies and recommendations
- OSHA’s Advisory Committee for Construction Safety & Health: “Women in the Construction Workplace: Providing Equitable Safety and Health Protection (1999)
- Mt. Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health: “Personal Protective Equipment for Female Construction Workers: Does it Fit? (2016)
- American Journal of Industrial Medicine: “Access to properly fitting PPE for female construction workers” (2016)
- Lund University: “Issues confronting women participation in the construction industry” (2011)
- Florida International University and Auburn University: “Addressing the issue of compliance with PPE on construction worksites: A workers’ perspective