A Plus Size Lady’s Guide To Finding The Right PPE

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for employees in hazardous workplaces, maximizing protection and safety against injuries and accidents. However, in some industries like construction, women tend to find it more challenging to select the most suitable gear for them than men.

PPE can become dysfunctional if it doesn’t fit properly. Consequently, workers may be exposed to dangerous risks. Also, their performance may be adversely affected if they’re distracted and uncomfortable because of what they’re wearing. It may be a safety hazard for workers whose gloves are too big if they get their hands stuck in machinery or lose dexterity while doing their job. Likewise, a female worker’s hard hat being constantly knocked off as they look up will endanger their head and slow their progress since they’ll regularly use their hand to place it in the right position again.

Here are the different types of PPE and some advice on how to find the right one for you if you’re a curvy woman:

• Protective Clothing 

There’s a difference between women and men in terms of their physique, with men being bigger than women in general. Hence, a man’s garment worn by a woman would be dangerous since the excess material could become caught in machinery if the sleeves or pant legs are rolled up. This also applies to women’s scrub pants when working in a medical operating room. Ensuring the perfect fit is imperative in avoiding accidents.

Do not use PPE intended for men since clothing with too much material on it can restrict movement and end up tearing. And although the fit is critical, the aesthetic appeal of the PPE is equally important. Some plus-size females may feel conscious about their PPE hugging their bodies too tightly, while some less curvy women might prefer more fitted PPEs. One way for companies to ensure the style preferred by female workers is to hand out a survey, listen to their opinions, and provide various PPE designs to choose from.

• Goggles 

Women experience fit and comfort problems with safety goggles more frequently than men. Some goggles that are designed to fit everyone end up being too large for women. Even if you’re a plus-size woman, the facial features of both men and women are relatively different.

When there are seal gaps on the goggles, the eyes can be exposed to harsh chemicals, dangerous particles, and other hazardous materials. This can pose a severe health and safety threat. It’s common for goggles to fog up because of poor ventilation, which puts the wearer at risk for accidents. Taking the goggles out to wipe the fog off even for a few seconds will expose them to danger. 

Here are essential pointers when selecting eye protection: 

• Make sure a qualified person checks the protective eyewear’s fit. It’s imperative to assess the areas around the eyes, nose bridge, and temples.
• Avoid loose and uncomfortable glasses. If you have any difficulty tilting your head downward while wearing the glasses, they’re not suitable for your face.
• Wearing a pair with polycarbonate lenses is more comfortable because they tend to be lighter.
• Check the side shields to ensure they don’t obstruct your peripheral vision.
• Make sure there’s no space between the goggles and your face.
• Not all women have the same facial size, so check over at kempermedical.com for available sizes, or have the goggles customized if possible.
• Consider goggles that can be adjusted. You shouldn’t have to pull the goggles strap so tightly that they distort your vision or irritate your eyes. 
• See an eye doctor and ask for advice about whether a specific pair of safety goggles is right for you. It would also help to follow some eye care tips to ensure that your eyes are healthy even when using goggles.

Safety features are not defined by style. However, if a company can provide eye protection that’s as functional as it is stylish, then that’s especially good news for fashion-conscious workers.

• Safety Gloves 

To ensure safe handling, go for gloves that fit the hand perfectly and are comfortable to wear. See to it that the gloves’ finger length, circumference, and width match yours. Women’s bodies vary in size, so the same goes for their hands. Plus-size women’s palms are often larger than those of petite women but still smaller than men’s.

The hand must be adequately measured to get a proper fit on the glove. In doing so, maximum protection can be achieved without compromising an employee’s tasks, health, and safety. 

• Safety Hats 

Many workplaces requiring PPE include safety hats or hard hats in their standard protective gear. They’re made to prevent injuries resulting from falling debris, electric shock, and other external accidental concerns resulting from elements above the head. Helmets generally have an adjustable headband. Hard hats for women should be chosen in a different way compared to those for men. 

Follow these tips when looking for the right hard hat for you: 

• Ensure that the hard hat will protect your head from any external dangers.
• It should have the perfect fit. Make sure that the hat’s headband can be adjusted according to the size of your head. Check if the safety hat won’t fall off even when bending, and ensure that there won’t be marks on your head after removing the hat. 
• Use a hard hat with a chin strap if needed.
• Also, take into account the weight of the hard hat. It shouldn’t be too heavy that you’ll feel burdened by it. 

A chin strap allows for a better fit for hard hats that are too large. Some women may find wearing ear muffs along with their helmets a bit troublesome. This may also create an imbalance on their head, resulting in exhaustion or uncomfortable head posture after their work shift. Consider the use of earmuffs only in necessary places or environments.

• Respirators

Health care workers need to use surgical masks and respirators for protection against health hazards. Respirators pose the most significant challenge when it comes to sizing. Sometimes, there’s confusion due to respirator sizes being described as small, medium, and large since it’s hard to determine their exact measurement values.

In manufacturing respirators, it’s assumed that the width and length of people’s faces and heads are similar. In this way, more than half of the adult population will presumably fit in a medium size. Only a minority of the population wears small and large sizes. However, it might not be correct to assume that a large size is perfect for you if you’re a plus-size lady.

Many people who’ve worn protective glasses and hats can tell by experience that their face and head are not of typical sizes. To ensure that respirators fit correctly, they must be tested before purchase. Women of different sizes should consider trying out respirators beforehand to ensure safety and functionality.

Conclusion 

Don’t forget that women come in many shapes and sizes. Consider the guidelines in this article when selecting the perfect PPE for your own body. By ensuring the fit, size, quality, and materials of your PPE, you’ll look and feel good wearing it regardless of the industry you’re in.