HOUSTON, Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SeeHerWork, a company that designs, manufactures and sells workwear, safety equipment, and other job-specific products for women in civil, commercial and industrial careers, officially launched today. Founder Jane Henry came up with the idea after Hurricane Harvey destroyed her home. In the recovery process, she experienced firsthand how not having access to workwear that fits the female form put her and other women who came to help at risk of injury and even death.
“Making Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment (also known as PPE) that fits the female form available to women is the first step in making women more comfortable in these high paying occupations that are experiencing labor shortages,” said Jane Henry, Founder of SeeHerWork. “Women want to excel at their jobs, but ill-fitting PPE is holding them back.”
In 1999, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued a report summarizing interviews with 475 tradeswomen. In it, women voice major issues about their PPE. Not only was ill-fitting PPE found to be a safety hazard but it kept women from getting proper training and mentoring from male peers. A 2016 repeat of the same study revealed that nothing had changed except that manufacturers had colored shrunken-down male patterns pink and called them women safety items. Some refer to this method as “Pink-it and Shrink-it” or “Barbie-fied.” SeeHerWork also conducted over 50 focus groups in 2018 with similar findings.
“We heard story after story of how rather than providing protection, the PPE given to women on the job often compromises safety,” said Jane Henry. “Multiple tradeswomen told us how they sometimes have to tape themselves up with duct tape to keep extra material from flying around or abandon protective gear altogether in order to obtain the dexterity needed-- which can expose them to potential hazards.”
According to more than 2,700 contractors, construction managers, builders and trade contractors surveyed in the latest Commercial Construction Index, 91 percent reported having a difficult or moderately difficult time finding skilled workers. With women talent largely untapped in civil, commercial, and industrial careers, bringing in more women for these jobs is a potential solution to the U.S. labor shortage.
Despite construction and excavation occupations offering the closest rate of equal pay between genders according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current state of PPE available to women creates barriers to entry and retention. Ill-fitting PPE creates safety hazards, keeps women from performing at their best on the job and perpetuates the myth that men are better fit for these careers.
About SeeHerWork
SeeHerWork designs, manufactures and sells workwear, safety equipment, and other job-specific products to help women in civil, commercial, and industrial careers stay safe and aid them in performing at their highest level. Most options available for women today are for men. Items that work for both genders are rare, yet women need properly fitted clothing and equipment to be safe. In addition to protecting women from hazards, well-fitting products inspire greater confidence, allowing them to feel strong and unrestrained while performing day-to-day job duties. For more information please visit: https://seeherwork.com/
To schedule interviews with SeeHerWork, please contact Kayla Gomes or Barbara Wichmann of ARTÉMIA Communications at (415) 351-2227 or via email at k.gomes@artemia.com and b.wichmann@artemia.com.
Contact: ARTÉMIA Communications
Barbara Wichmann/Kayla Gomes
b.wichmann@artemia.com; k.gomes@artemia.com
T: (415) 351-2227