One Size Doesn't Fit All
Women are becoming a much larger part of the manufacturing industry. Are industry suppliers ready to outfit and protect this growing segment of the workforce?
- By Julieann Billings Riordan
- Nov 08, 2023
With more women entering the manufacturing workplace, its incumbent on our industry to adapt appropriately by providing more products designed specifically for women.
There has been a post-pandemic surge of women moving into the manufacturing workforce, as women now account for 30 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the United States. On top of that, there is an initiative being led by the Manufacturing Institute called “35 x 30” that is focused on growing those numbers to 35 percent by the year 2030.
In real numbers, since the end of the pandemic, females working in manufacturing now account for 3.77 million workers, an increase of 102,000 workers since pre-pandemic.
As an industry, it’s more important than ever to support this shift in the workplace with products made specifically for this growing segment of the workforce.
What this means, specifically for the PPE vision market, is the development of products that are lighter-weight, form-fitting, and designed to fit a woman’s face.
Key features that will help to provide a snug, contoured, and reliable fit that workers should expect in women’s specific PPE vision protection include a bi-material ultra-flexible temple and a non-slip adjustable nose bridge to help assure a custom fit. At the same time, advancements in lens technology that are found in larger men’s sizes should also be included in women’s offerings, including anti-fog and anti-scratch lens technology to ensure an overall safer experience.
Choosing the Right Protection
In choosing the right vision protection, women should consider the type of protection they need – are they moving from indoor to outdoor environments? Are they in an environment where particles are flying around? Are they working around heavy machinery or performing work under fluorescent lights all day? Each of these situations brings a different set of conditions into play that will alter the type of protection needed.
Here are some key features that women should look for when selecting PPE vision protection:
Curved Frame - The curve of the frame will define whether the model is more or less wraparound. Curved products will offer more protection as they will be closer to the face. If too small, highly curved products may be uncomfortable for the wearer. For prescription eyewear, less curved products can accommodate higher prescriptions.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.