Arco, in collaboration with Openreach and GORE-TEX® Brand, is delighted to have won the PCIAW® Inclusive Professional Clothing Design Award.
Today, women carry out many jobs and professional roles previously dominated by men, including the kind of tough outdoor work that in the past would have been considered ‘unsuitable’ for women.
An excellent example are the 1600 female engineers employed by Openreach, mainly as fibre build/provision & fibre splicing workers and jointers. With a commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, the challenge in this partnership, between Arco, Openreach and Gore, was to design EN 20471 Class3 outdoor jackets and trousers that would be a good fit for womens’ frames, and would ensure comfort, safety, and efficiency.
Martin Nottage, Working at height & PPE manager at Openreach explains: “Our brief was simple; to make sure all wearers had clothing that was fit for purpose, PPE that fits each member of the team in the way it should, regardless of gender, height, or ability.”
Recognition that women perform engineering roles has not always translated into suitable clothing in the past. Often, companies provided women with men’s clothing, which impacted on comfort as well as safety. Fibre build/provision & fibre splicing requires wearing a harness which must fit well to the body. If a jacket is ill-fitting this can result in an over-bulky garment, with potential slipping hazards. The new garments were designed to allow women to conduct their jobs in comfort and security.
Central to the success of this project was our engagement with Women in Engineering focus groups. Their insights and feedback were instrumental in shaping every aspect of the jacket — from fit and functionality to style and durability. By listening directly to the voices of the women who would be wearing the product, we ensured the final design met real-world needs and expectations.
For instance, previously, the men’s jackets were two-toned yellow and blue. Technical issues around two-tones in smaller women’s sizes meant that a one-tone women’s jacket was initially proposed, but the women pointed to the dangers for women working alone if their PPE is different to that of their male colleagues. Being identified as female could make them a target and put them at unnecessary risk.
The decision was therefore made to design both men’s and women’s garments in one single colour, yellow. The new garments are designed to allow female engineers to conduct their job roles in a safe and efficient way while visually presenting in a professional way, aligned with the Openreach corporate brand identity. Apart from the alterations made for a better fit, women’s garments are identical to those of men, both visually and technically.
We believe that by having PPE that is fit-for-purpose and a commitment from companies to take such issues seriously, then greater recruitment and retention of women should follow. Added benefits would be greater confidence by the women themselves that their skills and talents are taken seriously.
The Gore PPE, designed by Arco for Openreach female engineers, avoids unnecessarily baggy and oversized garments, which would reduce the efficiency of the very high breathability provided by the GORE-TEX technical fabric. These better-fitting garments ensure that the full benefits of the GORE-TEX fabric is optimised and experienced for the end user.
This design project was driven by Arco, after a clear requirement was stipulated by Openreach, and Gore is delighted to have supported this innovative and inclusive venture.
Dalvir Sarkaria, Product and Procurement Manager at Arco commented: ‘To be the winning team means a great deal to all involved in terms of validation for our methods and our products. It was the clear vision and brief from Openreach which enabled this project to be driven forward to the resulting successful provision of safety garments for their female workers.”
