Women Benefit From PPE Grants

摘要

At project sites in Dallas, Houston and Atlanta, 27 women employees at McCarthy Building Cos. are testing a harness better suited to fit a diversity of body types than the more ubiquitous harnesses generally available at construction sites. The pilot is part of a grant program introduced by Autodesk and Associated General Contractors in November 2019 for firms to purchase safety harnesses designed to fit women's bodies. The company was one of 21 to receive the grants. McCarthy announced the harness rollout during National Construction Safety Week, Sept. 14-18. The harnesses, from MSA Safety Co., are a V-f it, in contrast to an H-style. Instead of a strap that runs across the chest, the harnesses buckle at the center of the chest, where the shoulder straps meet in a V. This allows for a "closer, more comfortably fitting harness while eliminating the need for bulky chest straps and buckles that are sometimes hard to adjust for women," according to Anne Osbourn, construction segment marketing manager at MSA Safety.