Protective Equipment for Women on the Job

June 1, 2005 —

360: Tell me about yourself and why you started your business.

TP: I was a safety manager for a long time for an environmental company, so personal protective equipment was essential — everything from head to toe for the workers. I had mainly a crew of about 40 or 50 men at any given time. Even though they came in all shapes and sizes, they were all an integral part of the business. But trying to fit them in personal protective equipment was insane. Then my husband got transferred to North Carolina from New York. At that time, I'd been working 14 years for the same employer, and I was looking to start my own business. I just kept searching the Internet for a niche in the safety field. Then one day it dawned on me that there was all of this PPE out there for women, but it was all over the place. I decided to bring that all together and started Charm and Hammer two years ago.

360: What was your initial business strategy?

TP: When I started www.charmandhammer.com, I was really wondering how much I was going to be able to sell. In the beginning, I offered four or five items — I mean it was kind of a joke. But then as I started working with other manufacturers and distributors, they'd say, “Oh yeah, we have this for women and that for women,” and I'd start carrying the product. It's so hard to get a distributor to stock PPE for women because there are some items I have on my shelf for six months. If the distributor has anything for six months, that's it — they don't buy it again. My strategy was to make these kinds of products readily available and easily accessible for women and their employers.

360: What products did you start with?

TP: I started with the Ms. Miller fall protection harness, some petite welding gloves, and the small MSA V-Guard hardhats. Then I discovered I didn't just need small sizes because not all women are small. I needed products that were specifically designed for women. For example, I have women's coveralls made to fit the female body in small, medium, large, and extra large. What happens when women buy men's coveralls? They wind up having to buy them several sizes bigger so they fit across the top. It's not good or safe when you've got to buy something that's three sizes too big.

360: How has your product offerings expanded in the last two years?

TP: I'm always researching products that are designed for women. Like I said, when I first started I had four products. Now I have almost everything from head to toe. I'm hoping to work with one of the work boot manufacturers to try and design a women's work boot because there are so many women out there wearing men's work boots.

360: Do laborers generally have to provide their own PPE? Or if employers provide the equipment, how do they ensure the PPE is properly sized for the individual worker?

TP: It's a mix. OSHA says employers are supposed to pay for equipment that's necessary for workers to do their jobs, but if the item has a dual purpose — meaning they can use it at home like work boots — employers are not required to purchase them. I basically think employers do what they can with what they have. When most employers buy gloves or safety glasses, they typically buy a case of gloves that may include one or two sizes. Then, if the employer doesn't provide something that fits adequately, the employees end up going out and buying it on their own. I actually talked to a lady from New Jersey recently that called 50 suppliers in her area to see if she could find PPE that would fit women, and one out of 50 had something for her. PPE for women is not a priority for most manufacturers because they only make up about 2% of the construction workforce. Even if they carry products, they don't need to market them because they sell the rest of their equipment by the truckload.

360: Do women working in construction face different safety/productivity issues than men? If so, what can be done to improve the situation?

TP: The hazards are basically the same. A fall hazard off a roof or any other leading edge is there, whether you're a man or a woman. It's the way you're protected from that hazard that may be a little bit different. For example, if you have a glove that's too large or a jacket that's too big, they could get caught and present safety risks as opposed to properly sized and fitted PPE. Some other issues are pinch points, and then you've got the factor of noncompliance. Some people feel if it doesn't fit, why bother.

360: Who are your customers?

TP: I get two types of women on my website — those that want something fun, different, or eye-catching to wear — like a pink hardhat — and those that really need something. I also have employers coming to me too saying, “I have a female employee who does not fit in any of the harnesses we have, can you help me?” In the beginning, it was just women, but now employers are finding me.

360: How do you distribute your products?

TP: I have direct accounts with some manufacturers, and I'm running this out of my home through the website. I'm also a power seller on eBay — a lot of women have found me on eBay. I actually sell thousands of dollars per month on eBay. I also have a lot of local customers and global clients. I've shipped to the oddest places — from Singapore to the United Kingdom to Israel. I've even sent safety glasses to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow