In honor on National Construction Safety Week, Skanska, one of the world’s leading construction and development firms, has partnered with Colony Hardware and Radians to create a full line of off-the-shelf personal protective equipment (PPE) tailored to women employees.
Skanska believes women shouldn’t be asked to compromise their safety by wearing unisex PPE that are too large. Instead, they are taking the lead again to make the industry better and safer.
“I was encouraged to hear of Skanska’s launch of tailor-made personal protective equipment for females. While oversized PPE is a significant safety concern, it’s also a perception issue. I’m barely 5’3”, so traditional-sized PPE drowns me. It’s hard to command respect when you walk onto the jobsite looking like you are wearing your dad’s safety vest, said Rochelle Riggs, Assistant Project Engineer at the Phoenix office of Skanska.”
Skanska’s female workforce across the U.S. now has options for appropriate fitting PPE, including two types of gloves, one for touchscreens and one for general use, and tailor-made vests that are custom-built based on feedback from Skanska’s very own female employees.
“I’ve always been proud of Skanska taking the lead in safety and making it about protecting each individual and not just about the statistics. Female PPE is just one more substantial way I can be safe by choice, added Riggs.”
These items are also available for every woman in the U.S. construction industry, no matter their location or company. Skanska’s goal is to raise the bar for safety across the industry and to drive change that results in inclusive, injury-free job sites around the country.
