College - Author 1
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Department - Author 1
Construction Management Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Construction Management
Date
3-2023
Primary Advisor/Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Stacy Kolegraff, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Construction Management Department
Abstract/Summary
With the construction industry evolving to embrace a more diverse workforce, it is crucial that personal protective equipment (PPE) adapts alongside this demographic shift to better accommodate women and those with diverse body types in the industry. To provide tangible momentum for the growing need of inclusive PPE, the Cal Poly Construction Management Department developed and hosted a “Verifying Everybody’s Safety Together” (VEST) Hackathon Event. This event provided an all-encompassing look at women’s construction vests and how they can be improved upon. The event had a variety of construction industry personnel in attendance, including five safety managers of different companies. These safety managers offered their insights, perspectives, and experiences regarding ill-fitting construction vests through a series of individually conducted, semi-structured interviews. The perspectives shared by these safety managers proved to be especially significant, because they are often directly responsible for the PPE acquisition and distribution process for all construction personnel at their respective firms. The perspectives shared by the safety managers helped reveal how and why safety vests fail to properly accommodate women and those with diverse body types, and what can be done about it to support them while promoting a more inclusive and accommodating construction industry at large.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cmsp/717
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