Following a recent GMB Union campaign, hundreds of thousands of women will now be protected from unsafe working equipment.

On Tuesday, members of parliament had the chance to wear the kind of ill-fitting clothing women are forced to wear everyday at work.

According to GMB, up to 70% of women suffer from ill-fitting protective equipment, with tens of thousands feeling unsafe, embarrassed and scared at work.

Women’s personal protective equipment (PPE) is often men’s equipment shrunk to a smaller size, which doesn’t properly fit a woman’s body or shape. This can be both dangerous and unfit for purpose.

Lynsey Mann, BMG national health and safety officer explains, “women having proper PPE that fits their bodies isn’t just a matter of respect – it can be a matter of life and death.” She adds:

“The next step is for other employers to get ahead of the inevitable curve and for our elected officials to embed inclusive PPE into procurement practices.”

The GMB Fit For All campaign puts people at the heart of PPE, with the Inclusive PPE Charter being backed by companies such as EDF, JCB, BAE Systems and Bylor.