PPE Fit For All

GMB is calling on employers and the government to ensure all workers can access safe and fitting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Reps from across industries have found women in particular are left unsafe, uncomfortable and unappreciated by unsuitable PPE. And it is an issue that effects everyone - men are repeatedly reporting inadequately fitting PPE too. PPE is there to keep us safe – it needs to be suitable for all shapes and sizes, all ethnicities and religions, all physical health and neurodiverse conditions.

PPE is supposed to be a workers last line of defence, yet for most it is insufficient. Interim GMB survey results found two thirds of workers have had issues with incorrectly fitting PPE. Workers are having to use unsafe equipment, to buy their own, or altering standard sizes to fit. This is not good enough, it is not safe.

If we alter own PPE, we are the ones that become liable if anything happens, not our employer. Demand the correct size.

The UK now has a chance to do better. The British Standards Institution (BSI) have just launched the world’s first inclusive PPE standard, which gives employers clear guidelines to ensure they provide PPE fit for all.

We’re calling on employers to adopt this standard to make workplaces inclusive for everyone, and to keep our members safe from hazards and harm. We’re also lobbying the government to amend the Health & Safety at Work Act and PPE regulations so all employers are required to follow the new inclusive PPE standards by law.

GMB reps are taking on Parliament - talking to MPs about why this matters in the workplace and connecting with others who care as much as we do about inclusive PPE.

Here marks the start of nationwide change.

A shift in British workplace culture is imminent. Inclusive PPE isn’t just about equipment and clothing, but creating environments where we feel we all belong.