Costain has broadened its personal protective equipment and workwear range with more than 150 updated items designed to better fit a wider mix of workers, in a move that reflects a broader shift across infrastructure towards inclusion and sustainability.
The company said the refreshed catalogue was developed with input from its Disability and Wellbeing Network and Women’s Network, working alongside safety supplier Arco. Among the additions are BOA safety boots, which use dial...
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-and-cable fastenings instead of laces, as well as lighter, more breathable clothing aimed at workers with skin conditions or sensory sensitivities. Costain also said the number of sustainable PPE products in the range has doubled, with more items now made using recycled materials and lower-impact manufacturing methods.
For an industry that has long treated PPE as a standard issue purchase, the update points to a changing view of what safe working equipment should look like. Historically, construction and infrastructure employers have often relied on generic sizing and standardised designs that were not built around the reality of a more diverse workforce. That has left some workers, particularly women and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, facing practical barriers before a shift has even begun.
Costain said the changes were intended to improve comfort, accessibility and fit without compromising safety. Catherine Duffy, the company’s chief people and sustainability officer, said the business was committed to creating a workplace where everyone could reach their potential, and that the new range had been shaped with colleagues and supply chain partners to improve inclusivity while maintaining quality and sustainability.
Emily Castle, chair of Costain’s Disability and Wellbeing Network, said the network had helped drive positive changes to working practices and that the wider choice of sizes and styles made the offering more accessible. Heather Sperry, national account manager at Arco, said equipment needed to be fit for purpose and that organisations should invest in PPE that serves the whole workforce and meets high manufacturing standards.
The change also fits Costain’s wider inclusion strategy. The company says it has six employee networks covering disability and wellbeing, women, LGBT+ and allies, parenting and carers, religion, ethnicity and cultural heritage, and services and service families. It has also said it wants a workforce that better reflects society and has linked inclusion to innovation, retention and better client service.
The push comes at a time when construction and infrastructure employers are under pressure to attract and keep skilled staff in a tight labour market. Better-fitting PPE may seem like a small intervention, but in a physically demanding sector, comfort, ease of use and access can affect fatigue, concentration and productivity as well as safety.
Source: Noah Wire Services
