Louise Pattison
Building materials firm Tarmac has launched a range of maternity personal protective equipment (PPE), specially designed for pregnant women.
The move follows a report by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) which surveyed women in the industry and found that half had been forced to cut back on their normal duties or change roles while pregnant because suitable PPE had not been available.
Tarmac’s senior vice president, Martin Riley, said: “We’re proud to be leading the way in introducing high visibility maternity PPE for expectant mothers. This pioneering initiative supports our aim of creating a more inclusive workforce and to work in an environment where all of our employees can be safe and remain healthy.”
Expectant mother Louise Pattison (pictured), who works for Tarmac’s cement and lime business in Barnstone, Nottingham, said: “It used to be the case that expectant mothers needing PPE for their work had to wear oversized male protective clothing and make their own alterations.
“I’m delighted to be one of the first at Tarmac to have the opportunity to wear PPE that is specially made for pregnant women.”
The PPE, which confirms to international health and safety standard EN ISO 20471, is manufactured by Leo Workwear, the UK’s sole supplier of specialist maternity protective clothing.
Comments are closed.