Women are making significant strides in skilled trades across Ontario, with 374,600 women employed in skilled trades-related occupations in 2023 alone. Despite this progress, the lack of properly fitting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) remains a barrier to safety, comfort, and inclusivity.
Recent research from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) sheds light on the issue:
- 50% of women report that their PPE does not fit properly.
- 43% say their PPE is uncomfortable to wear.
- 35% believe the selection of women-specific PPE is inadequate.
These statistics highlight a systemic problem that must be addressed if we want to foster a safer and more inclusive work environment for women in trades.
Why Properly Fitting PPE Matters
Ill-fitting PPE is more than an inconvenience. It’s a safety hazard 40 % of all worksite injuries are due to improper fitting workwear. Women often find themselves wearing gear designed for men, which can result in improper fit, restricted movement, tripping hazards or getting caught in machinery. Poorly fitting PPE can also impact performance, leading to frustration and poor mental health.
As Jennifer Khan, Vice President of Inclusive Diversity at EllisDon, aptly puts it:
"The importance of properly fitting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can be easily overlooked when you can go to virtually any retailer and easily find PPE that fits your body and keeps you safe. The proposed measures and the requirement of properly fitting PPE for women are poised to create a transformative ripple throughout the construction industry and marketplace. By prioritizing safety inclusively, we not only encourage more women to join the sector but also clearly communicate they are not merely present in construction—they are essential and embraced."
The Role of Government
The Ontario government is stepping up to address this issue on a larger scale. Legislation, expected to be introduced soon, aims to make workplaces safer and more inclusive for women across all sectors. This includes requiring properly fitting PPE for women expanding on the 2023 Working for Workers Act.
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini emphasized the importance of this initiative:
"Our government has a clear mission: ensure Ontario continues to be the very best place to live, work, and raise a family... We’re also promoting and protecting tradeswomen as an essential part of our workforce in every sector: we see you, we value you, and we can’t build Ontario’s future without you."
By mandating proper fitting of PPE for women and enhancing job protection measures, the Ontario government is sending a strong message: the safety, well-being, and contribution of women in trades are vital to building a better future.
The Role of The Dirty Seahorse
We have made it our mission to work in collaboration with industry experts addressing this issue to advocate to the federal and provincial governments for legislation to include proper fitting workwear for women.
At The Dirty Seahorse (TDSH), we are committed to empowering women in skilled trades through innovative, functional workwear that prioritizes safety and comfort. Properly fitting PPE is a critical step toward ensuring women in trades can perform their best without compromising safety or well-being.
To ensure that women entering the trades have access to properly fitting workwear, TDSH had Chantel measured from head to toe to create a women’s profile, involving women in trades was a critical step as they chose the features they wanted and needed and then had a team of female designers build it in who understood their needs from a woman's perspective.
Then donated the overalls to female apprentices at Mohawk, Durham, and Lambton colleges to have them tested in various trades. We have also donated to the YWCA Uplift Program, specifically for women transitioning out of difficult situations and looking at starting a new chapter in their life. Also to young ladies in programs at College Heights, a high school in Guelph, and female students in horticulture and agriculture programs at the University of Guelph, in an initiative designed to ensure women have access to the gear they need to stay safe and succeed in their professions.
Creating properly fitting workwear is about showing women they belong, empowering them after all they are the cornerstone and backbone of this company and have helped built the company from the ground up. It’s about changing lives for the better, for women just like Dianne’s Daughter, granddaughter and future generations to come!
