Empowering South African Women in Mining: Redesigned Personal Protective Clothing (PPC) Solutions

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of female workers in the South African mining sector. This change highlights the need for personalized personal protective clothing (PPC) that specifically meets the requirements of female employees, including accommodating diverse body sizes and ensuring the best possible fit. Current studies in South Africa indicate that existing PPCs, initially designed for male miners, should adequately cater to female miners' safety and comfort needs. Specifically, the current one-piece PPC poses practical challenges, particularly regarding ease of restroom use. This research project aims to redesign a one-piece personal protective clothing (PPC) specifically for women miners in South Africa. The study focuses on women's sizes, fit, and functional requirements to create a comfortable PPC. The design process involved female miners to ensure inclusivity. The research used a qualitative method to identify participants for interviews, fit testing and observation checklists for fit assessment. Central to the design process is prioritizing the one-piece PPC's functionality, considering factors like ease of toilet use and movement during work activities. This research ensures that the proposed one-piece PPC is functionally adequate, appropriately sized and well-fitting by actively engaging female miners throughout the development phases. The results indicated that the redesigned one-piece PPC had enhanced size and fit factors, resulting in a comfortable PPC that facilitates easy toilet use. The research demonstrates that engaging PPC users in the process results in a better-designed garment.

https://doi.org/10.26803/MyRes.2024.03