I have always found the most important changes in PPE and sparks of innovation don’t come from a sketch on a napkin of a new product. They start with someone highlighting a challenge. Often a challenge that many people simply hadn’t considered.
We recently saw a fantastic example of this when Meg Ginsbery at AtkinsRéalis shared an exciting milestone in a journey she has been championing since joining the construction industry four years ago.
Working with Leo Workwear, Tower account manager Carlos Ares, and colleagues across AtkinsRéalis, Meg is helping turn an ambition for more inclusive PPE into a prototype designed specifically for wheelchair users working on site.
Here is the LinkedIn post if you want to read Meg’s experiences on the breakthrough itself.
While industry conversations around PPE inclusivity have rightly expanded in recent years, particularly around women's PPE, Meg recognises there are still gaps for wheelchair users operating in site environments.
Rather than accepting those limitations, Meg has started conversations that bring the right people together to move concepts closer to reality. In her post, Meg said, "It would not be possible without the fantastic support from the AtkinsRéalis PPE For All team, the Enable ERG, and partners like Tower and Leo Workwear."
Meg’s challenge resonated with her account manager at Tower, Carlos Ares, who recognised an opportunity to connect Leo Workwear with Meg and AtkinsRéalis to explore what might be possible.
During a recent podcast on diversity and inclusion in PPE, Leo Workwear's Luke Alcock explained how the first step was "to understand the problem before making any commercial decisions or focussing on product development."
Rather than starting with a product, the focus was on listening. Discussions with Meg helped Luke and his team understand the practical realities of working on site as a wheelchair user, alongside the barriers that existing products can create.
As Luke reflected, "Straight away, just listening to the backstory and the need. It gets you motivated. It really does."
Traditional hi-vis is designed around workers who are standing and moving around site on foot. For wheelchair users, visibility requirements remain the same, but comfort, practicality, weather protection and freedom of movement all need to be considered.
The trick is to look through a different lens when thinking about PPE inclusivity. The question isn’t 'does a product exist?' It's: 'can a better solution be developed?'
As our Category Manager Rhianna Derham recently put it: "Try not to forget anyone. Procurement has so much responsibility that it's easy to leave out smaller aspects by focussing on the bigger picture. Look behind the obvious and keep everyone included."
The conversations didn't stop at understanding the challenge. Drawing on Meg's experience and feedback, Leo Workwear began exploring how an adaptive high-visibility blanket could work in practice for wheelchair users on site.
The result is the early prototype shown in these images. While still a concept, it demonstrates how lived experience, customer feedback and manufacturer expertise can come together to move an idea beyond discussion and into something tangible.
As Luke explained, "Now we're in the middle of looking at the best way we can solve this problem with a blanket that will be adaptable to use on a wheelchair."
The project remains a work in progress, but it has already moved beyond conversations and into practical development. The images shown here capture that snapshot in time, where an idea is beginning to take shape through collaboration, testing and feedback.
The adaptive high-visibility concept remains in development, and there is still work ahead before any decisions are made about future availability.
But the project demonstrates what can happen when organisations listen, collaborate and explore new ideas. As Luke explained during the podcast, meaningful innovation happens when manufacturers work directly with the people who will ultimately wear the product. "It's never a no. It's always a maybe or at least let's understand in a practical sense."
I think that's the real story behind these images. Not simply a prototype, but a group of people working together to understand a challenge and explore how PPE can work better for everyone.
Bruce works at the forefront of global requirements and is a leading authority on arc flash PPE. Bruce is also highly knowledgeable about the requirements of the Energy and Utilities industry.
