The CIOB's #PPEthatfits campaign has won Best Lobbying Campaign at the MemCom Excellence Awards, highlighting the need for inclusive trade workwear.
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has secured the Best Lobbying Campaign accolade at the 2026 MemCom Excellence Awards for its #PPEthatfits initiative. Supported by Construction Management, the campaign was established to tackle the widespread lack of correctly specified and properly fitted personal protective equipment for women and diverse body types across the UK construction sector.
For decades, standard site safety gear has been manufactured predominantly around male body proportions. Ill-fitting safety harnesses, oversized high-visibility jackets, and incorrectly proportioned boots present significant health and safety hazards, increasing trip risks and compromising gear performance. The CIOB’s lobbying has successfully elevated this issue across the industry, pressing manufacturers, major contractors, and merchants to stock and supply inclusive safety wear.
What does this mean for a UK tradesperson or DIYer actually buying this kit — does it change what they should pay, buy, or watch out for? For female tradespeople and smaller-framed workers, this industry recognition signals a turning point in retail availability. While trade counters like Screwfix, Toolstation, and Travis Perkins have historically stocked limited ranges of women's workwear, heightened pressure from campaigns like #PPEthatfits is compelling major safety brands to expand their off-the-shelf sizing options. Buyers should expect to see wider selections of properly tailored safety footwear and hi-vis garments at mainstream suppliers rather than having to rely on specialist online orders. Crucially, tradespeople should not accept unisex compromises that risk safety compliance on site; properly certified and correctly proportioned gear is increasingly becoming standard catalogue stock without carrying an unreasonable price premium.
The campaign's success underlines a broader shift within UK construction toward safer, more inclusive working environments. As procurement policies adapt, trade buyers and safety officers are urged to review their supply chains to ensure all site personnel are equipped with compliant, properly fitted protective gear.
Reported by Construction Management — original article
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