Vest maker couldn't believe 'we haven't solved this yet?'
An initiative to improve equality in the construction industry is ensuring safety vests are being made for women and gender non-conforming individuals. It recognizes a persistent gap in the manufacturing of personal protective equipment for people who don’t identify as men.
“If we want to loudly and proudly say that construction is for everyone, we have to prove that,” says Jennifer Khan, vice president of inclusive diversity at EllisDon, “and we have to prove that to folks starting with safety and letting them know that regardless of how you identify, or how you live, that you're welcome here and we have the tools to keep you safe.”
Khan says she was sick and tired of hearing women talk about how their safety vests didn’t fit properly, felt uncomfortable, and were made using inferior materials. That was the impetus behind the construction firm’s Fit Your Frame campaign to design and create safety vests for the people the industry hasn’t focused on.
EllisDon reached out to Md Bespoke, a clothing company specializing in fashion as well as film and television costume design. It was founded by Marlon Durrant, and he sprung into action, creating more than two dozen mock-ups of female-focused safety vests.
“We call it unique body shapes,” says Durrant, “different chest sizes, different shapes, that was part of a challenge, coming up with something that could accommodate different shapes, weight distributions, and just be much more comfortable.”
Durrant couldn’t do it on his own, and realized this project needed its own vehicle to succeed. That’s why his daughter, Tess Durant, became the CEO of a new subsidiary company called Safety Bespoke.
“We were presented with this challenge, and we accepted, and it's become a lot bigger than maybe even originally anticipated,” says the younger Durrant. The father-daughter duo do not have a background in safety or PPE.
Khan isn’t bothered by the lack of experience. “It was more important that we worked with somebody that had shared values…and also quite honestly we wanted to make sure that we were uplifting local businesses, particularly from underrepresented groups.”
Being an outsider, Tess was surprised to learn there is a lack of supply of PPE for women. “I probably asked at least 10 times, we haven't solved this yet?” says Tess, “honestly, it was mind blowing to hear that there was such a missed opportunity.”
A recent report from the CSA group found 40 percent of women reported being hurt on the job because they didn’t have properly fitting PPE.
It could be why many other construction companies, and businesses from other industries, are reaching out to Safety Bespoke to acquire vests for their workers. “It's been so overwhelming,” says the elder Durrant.
Khan says EllisDon needs about 1,000 vests immediately for its workforce and will likely need at least a couple thousand in the next few years. But she hopes safety vests are just the beginning, and that the campaign will inspire other companies to fill a lot of other gaps in the PPE supply chain.
“The safety manufacturers have a responsibility to do their part. And I know some of them are working along this path as well. But it should never have to be this hard.”
Khan points to the need for hard hats, harnesses, and safety boots. Vests are just one item and EllisDon is just one company within one industry. There are so many more needs, and so many more opportunities.
