Reflecting on the role of innovation, Barlow highlights recent breakthroughs in personal protective equipment (PPE). “We’ve come a long way from one-size-fits-all safety gear,” she notes. “Today, we have CSA-approved footwear tailored to specific job descriptions and anti-slip technology that’s been rigorously tested for safety.”

But Barlow acknowledges that while technological progress is happening quickly, the path to inclusive PPE is slower for most industries. “Historically, women in male-dominated industries have faced barriers in accessing suitable PPE,” she says. “The ‘shrink it and pink’ mentality simply doesn’t cut it. We need gear that’s not just resized but designed with women’s needs in mind.”

The scaling challenge

One of the challenges Barlow hopes industry can come together to tackle is creating women’s PPE at scale.

“The call to action I think for me would be to ask all of the construction companies, is it really necessary to have 17 different shades of grey women’s pants? And the answer is no. If we, as manufacturers could agree on one shade of gray, one shade of blue, one shade of black, that would allow us to produce those trousers at economies of scale pricing and keep them in stock so that they are as easily accessible as men’s.”

Despite these challenges, Barlow remains optimistic about the future of workplace safety. “It’s heartening to see a shift towards inclusivity,” she observes. “But there’s still work to be done. We need to ensure that inclusive practices are the norm, not the exception.”