NEWS
WOMEN ARE BEING PUT
AT RISK BY ILL-FITTING
SAFETY WORKWEAR
Less than one in three women are
given protective clothing specifically
designed for women, according to
a report published by the TUC.
D
espite a legal duty on bosses to provide the correct
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to their staff
free of charge, only 3 in 10 women (29%) told a
survey that the PPE they wear to keep them safe at work is
specifically designed for women.
Women responding to the survey work in a range of
jobs, including emergency services, retail, manufacturing,
engineering and scientific research. Many reported that
ill-fitting PPE which isn’t specifically designed to protect
women gets in the way of them doing their job safely.
For example, the wrong shoes or overalls can increase
the chances of tripping, and safety harnesses, belts and
body armour can rub against the skin if they do not
accommodate breasts or hips.
The report was published on Workers’ Memorial Day
(28 April), an international annual day of remembrance
and action for workers killed, disabled and injured by their
work.
In addition:
• More than half of women (57%) responding to the survey
said that their PPE sometimes or significantly hampered
their work – including 95% of women working in emergency
services.
• More than 2 in 5 (41%) women said that the protective
trousers that were given to them were inappropriate.
• More than 1 in 3 (35%) found their overalls unsuitable
for carrying out their work duties.
The problems are particularly acute when women
become pregnant. The survey showed half of women who
had been pregnant had been forced to cut back on their
normal duties or had to change their role in the run up
to giving birth due to suitable PPE not being available or
supplied to them.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:
“I’m shocked that so many women – even those working
in frontline emergency services – do not have the right
protective clothing to do their jobs safely.
“Bosses’ complacency risks serious injury. It shouldn’t
be hard to ensure protective uniforms come in men’s and
women’s sizes.
“On International Workers’ Memorial Day, we
remembered all those who have died at work – and pledged
to redouble our efforts to make sure everyone is safe from
illness and injury while they carry out their jobs.
“Trade unions have fought for protections from
dangerous workplaces for as long as we have existed. I
would urge anyone worried about health and safety at work
to join a union.”
View the full report at www.tuc.org.uk
WORKERS’ HEALTH AND SAFETY
PROTECTIONS AT RISK FROM GOVERNMENT’S
BREXIT PLANS, ACCORDING TO TUC
The TUC has published a
new briefing, Protecting
Health and Safety after
Brexit, which warns trade
unionists and working
people that health
and safety protections
are at risk from the
government’s Brexit plans.
6
HSE INTERNATIONAL
A
lthough the government has set
out its intention in a white paper
to transfer all existing health
and safety protections from EU law to
UK law, there are no guarantees for
what happens afterwards.
The TUC says that the next
government must make sure that a
commitment is written into the Brexit
deal to, as a minimum, match present
and future EU standards for workplace
health and safety. Otherwise existing
protections will be vulnerable to erosion
and repeal.
TUC General Secretary Frances
O’Grady said:
“Working people must not have their
health and safety put at greater risk
after Brexit. The next government needs
a watertight plan to transfer protections
from EU to UK law.
“The best way to guarantee all
health and safety protections is to put
workplace rights at the heart of the
Brexit deal. It should be written into the
deal that the UK and EU will meet the
same standards, for both existing rights
and future improvements.”