# PPE that fits, the safety issue nobody talks about
Ill-fitting PPE isn't you being "fussy", it's your employer failing their legal duty to give you kit that actually protects you, and the law is on your side on this. Badly sized gloves, boots, harnesses and hi-vis can increase your risk of injury and make you less safe than if you weren't wearing them.
Quick rule of thumb: if your PPE is slipping, snagging or stopping you using tools properly, you're at greater risk, not protected: and your employer has a legal duty to fix it, not tell you to "make do".
1. What the law actually requires
PPE at Work Regulations 2022
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations put a clear duty on employers to provide suitable PPE free of charge to anyone exposed to risks at work, that now includes limb (b) workers, not just employees.
Under the regs, PPE is not suitable unless:
- It is appropriate for the risks and conditions.
- It takes account of ergonomic requirements and the state of health of the person.
- It is "capable of fitting the wearer correctly, if necessary, after adjustments within the range for which it is designed."
HSE's detailed guidance (L25) spells this out: PPE has to be suitable and sufficient and may need to take account of protected characteristics like gender or pregnancy.
HSE's short guide on PPE (INDG174) stresses that:
- PPE must fit the individual wearer.
- Ill-fitting PPE can be a serious safety risk.
- Employers must adjust or change PPE if it doesn't fit or work properly.
CDM 2015 and construction
On construction sites, CDM 2015 sits on top of this: the principal contractor and employers must ensure appropriate PPE is provided and used where risks remain after other controls. If the PPE doesn't fit you, it is not appropriate, and the duty hasn't been met.
EU PPE Regulation 2016/425 (retained law)
On the manufacturing side, the retained PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 says PPE must be designed and made so that it "facilitates its correct positioning on the user" and stays in place for the period of use, taking into account the actions and postures involved.
In other words, kit on the market is supposed to be designed to fit human bodies properly and stay put in real work positions, not flap about or slide off because it's all based on a 6ft bloke.
Bottom line: if your PPE can't be adjusted to fit you, your employer is not meeting their legal duty to provide "suitable" PPE.
2. Why "male-default" PPE is a safety hazard, not a comfort issue
The TUC pulled this apart in their guidance "Personal Protective Equipment and Women" and later research has backed it up. Key problems they found:
Gloves too big
Women often get stuck with oversized "small" gloves that don't match narrower hands and shorter fingers. That reduces grip, increases snagging and makes it easier to drop tools or materials, exactly what you don't want when you're handling sharp, hot or heavy kit.
Boots too big or the wrong shape
Standard safety boots are built around male lasts, broader feet, different proportions. Women end up in boots that are too long or too wide even in "small" sizes, which causes trips, ankle twists, blisters and fatigue.
Hi-vis that's like a tent
Hi-vis jackets and vests cut for men hang off smaller frames, with excess fabric catching on equipment, scaffolding and plant. Over-long sleeves and baggy torsos also make it harder to see body position and increase snag risk.
Harnesses that don't fit breasts or shorter torsos
Most fall-arrest harnesses are sized and cut for male torsos. Front and chest straps can cut across breasts uncomfortably or unsafely. Poorly fitted harnesses may not keep the body in the right position in a fall, or can cause additional injury.
Hard hats, specs and masks
Hard hats based on bigger head sizes wobble or slip, and eye protection and respirators designed around wider faces fail to seal properly on smaller faces. That means reduced protection from impact, dust and fumes even though you're technically "wearing PPE".
The TUC survey found 57% of women said their PPE hampered their work, and that ill-fitting PPE prevents women doing their job safely and comfortably, not just that it's annoying. More recent research shows women bear a bigger PPE burden: less choice, worse fit, and day-to-day physical and mental consequences.
3. Your employer's obligations when PPE doesn't fit
When you tell your employer that PPE doesn't fit, they're not allowed to just shrug. The law expects them to:
- Review the risk assessment · check what PPE is needed and why.
- Select different PPE that actually fits you · different size, model or design, not just "the same men's kit one size smaller".
- Provide it free of charge, including to limb (b) workers (zero-hours, agency, some self-employed working under control).
- Train you on how to adjust and wear it correctly, and check it works in practice.
- Replace it if it's damaged, worn or still not suitable.
If, after you've raised it, they:
- Say "it's fine, just roll your sleeves", or
- Tell you to buy your own PPE that fits,
they're ignoring their legal duties on suitability and cost, and undermining your safety.
4. What to do if your PPE doesn't fit
Step 1, Be specific and put it on them
Talk to your supervisor, H&S manager or whoever issues kit. Keep it factual:
- Explain exactly how it doesn't fit: "The gloves are too big so I'm losing grip on [task]. The boots are so loose I keep tripping on stairs. The harness chest strap is across my neck/breasts and can't be adjusted to sit properly."
- Link it to safety, not comfort: "This is affecting my ability to grip tools safely / climb ladders / work at height."
- Refer to the regs in plain English: "PPE regs say PPE has to be suitable and capable of fitting the wearer correctly. These don't fit me, so they aren't suitable."
- Ask for a concrete solution: different size or model (for example, women's-fit boots, smaller harness, different glove range), or trial of alternative kit from another supplier.
Step 2, Follow up in writing
If they fob you off, send a short, calm email:
"As discussed, the PPE provided (gloves/boots/harness) doesn't fit and is affecting my ability to work safely. PPE Regulations require PPE to be suitable and capable of fitting the wearer correctly. Please can you arrange alternative PPE that fits properly so I can work safely on [tasks]?"
This keeps it on record and shows you framed it as a safety and legal issue, not a fashion gripe.
Step 3, Use internal routes, union, NAWIC
If nothing happens:
- Raise it through H&S channels (safety committee, H&S manager) or HR.
- If you're in a union, speak to your rep · they will know this issue and can quote TUC guidance and HSE regs on your behalf.
- NAWIC resources and campaigns like #PPEthatfits back you up · you're not the only one saying this.
Step 4, Escalate if they still refuse
If your employer refuses to provide PPE that fits and expects you to work in unsafe kit:
- You are within your rights to refuse dangerous work · PPE that actively increases risk is part of that.
- You can contact HSE (0300 003 1747 or online) and report that PPE is unsuitable and your employer won't replace it.
- If you're disciplined or pushed out for raising it, speak to your union or a solicitor · there's an argument that this could link into sex discrimination, given the evidence that women are disproportionately affected by ill-fitting PPE.
HSE's direction of travel is not on management's side here: campaigns like #PPEthatfits, TUC pressure and NAWIC advocacy have pushed regulators and big clients to expect inclusive PPE as part of basic safety.
5. Women's-fit PPE, where to look
The good news is there's now a growing list of brands making proper women's-fit gear, so your employer has no excuse to claim it doesn't exist.
- Specialist women's workwear suppliers now stock ranges of women's safety clothing and workwear · trousers, jackets, hi-vis, gloves · cut for female proportions rather than just shrinking a men's pattern.
- Big manufacturers are expanding ranges into inclusive sizing and better proportions for women's PPE · boots, hi-vis, harnesses · not just "unisex".
- Campaigns like CIOB's #PPEthatfits and NAWIC Yorkshire's research have driven this, and the Considerate Constructors Scheme now mandates PPE for women on registered sites.
- NAWIC points out that many of the new PPE brands for women in construction are women-owned, focusing on proper fit, safety and respect.
Practical move: next time you raise it with your employer, take a couple of examples or links with you, then it's not "abstract", you're literally showing them what to order.
6. Straight talk
PPE that doesn't fit you is faulty PPE, not "better than nothing". If it stops you gripping, climbing, seeing or harnessing properly, it's a hazard in its own right, and your employer has zero business asking you to just "make do".
A line you can use with your supervisor:
"I'm happy to wear and look after PPE, but the kit you've given me doesn't fit and that makes it unsafe, the PPE regs say it has to fit the wearer. Can we sort something that actually fits so I can do the job properly?"
What to do next
- Check your PPE today · does everything fit properly, stay in place, and let you do your job without snagging, slipping or restricting movement? If not, raise it now, not next week.
- Be specific when you raise it · name the item, explain how it doesn't fit, and link it to a safety risk, not a preference.
- If your employer won't act, follow up in writing and use your union, NAWIC or HSE to escalate · the law is on your side.
- If you're an employer reading this, review your PPE stock and ask your women workers what actually fits · then order from suppliers who make women's-fit kit. It's a legal duty, not a perk.
Sources
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2022 · legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/8/contents · employer duty to provide suitable, correctly fitting PPE free of charge, now including limb (b) workers.
- HSE L25 guidance · detailed guidance on PPE suitability, fit, and protected characteristics.
- HSE INDG174 · short guide on PPE at work.
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 · legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/contents · principal contractor duties including PPE.
- PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 (retained law) · design and manufacturing requirements for PPE positioning and fit.
- TUC "Personal Protective Equipment and Women" · research showing 57% of women report PPE hampers their work.
- Equality Act 2010 · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents · indirect sex discrimination where PPE provision disproportionately disadvantages women.
- CIOB #PPEthatfits campaign · industry push for inclusive PPE.
- Considerate Constructors Scheme · mandates PPE for women on registered sites.
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