Personal Protective Equipment (Inclusive Standards)

Kirsteen Sullivan Excerpts

Tuesday 24th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)]

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require that personal protective equipment procured and provided by public sector and associated bodies must comply with Standard BS 30417:2025, or an equivalent specified standard; and for connected purposes.

I bring the Bill to the House as a proud member of the GMB union. We all know the importance of personal protective equipment, which is the final defence against unavoidable risks in the workplace, but what is not always appreciated is that employees across the UK are routinely working without fit-to-form PPE, compromising safety and hindering their productivity. BS 30417, developed by the British Standards Institution, is guidance that puts fit-to-form PPE as a consideration at every stage of purchasing, supply and use. Our workforce is not homogenous: employees are not all male, 5 feet 9 and 85 kg—and even then, PPE is often designed for a taller man. Too many are given inadequate PPE whether they are preparing food, handling chemicals, building houses, healing patients or fighting fires—boots so big that they become trip hazards, gloves so large that they cannot grip properly, or high-vis jackets so cumbersome that they restrict movement.

Although some employers offer inclusive PPE, it is time for us to put our money where our mouth is. Enshrining the BSI’s new PPE standard or the industry equivalent in public procurement sends a clear message to employers and manufacturers that the future of work and PPE is inclusive. Over the past year and a half, I have met women across industries—health services, the fire service, police, armed services and engineering—and they are exasperated at poor-fit PPE and, often, the ridicule that comes with it.

Take something as simple as sizing. The smallest glove size available on the market is still too large for 86% of female hands. That is not just inconvenient and cumbersome; it is unsafe. Many women doing training drills on ladders, or handling hoses and ropes, find them impossible as the gloves are simply too big to allow for a secure grip. Running into a burning building is something that few of us would ever want to face, but our firefighters do that daily. In an attack, running towards danger is something few of us would do, but our police officers do that daily. Handling soiled linen and cleaning up bodily waste is something most of us avoid where possible, but our carers, nurses and medical professionals do that daily. One Scottish firefighter came to me with her experience of running into burning buildings, but the service did not have any female-fit fire boots. That is intolerable, and a dangerous trip hazard in a perilous situation. In basic frontline protection, we are failing women who are putting their lives on the line.

The horror stories go on. Stab vests, predominantly designed to fit men, are simply inadequate to fit the body shape of female police officers. Ordinarily, they are too big and too loose. When running, the stab vest slides up and down, hitting against their neck and chin, in an encumbrance that slows them down in moments of danger. In one case, a knife slipped under a police officer’s garment and she was hospitalised with severe stab wounds. Alternatively, officers are forced to tie them so tight that it impairs their breathing.

Others spoke of needing to alter their PPE just to make it fit, which completely compromises their safety and makes the worker legally liable for accidents on site because they are wearing their PPE incorrectly. And that is before we even begin to talk about the lack of well-fitting protective clothing for people with disabilities, religious and cultural requirements, and men who do not fit the average size. Women in war zones have reported their oversized body armour cutting their thighs when sat in vehicles traversing rocky terrain, or of helmets falling over their eyes. We should not expect our service personnel to enter combat zones if we cannot deliver the body armour and fitted head protection that can save lives.

Although such examples are not limited to public services, the purchasing power of the state represents a sizeable portion of the market, through the purchase of PPE for our council care workers, firefighters, armed services and police. This Bill will put people at the forefront of PPE procurement, ensuring true fit-to-form protection from sparks and burns, waste and disease, machinery and chemicals.

I give special thanks to the people who put so much work into the new BSI standard and helped me learn all things PPE. The subject was not my forte, but it soon became a passion project. I thank the BSI drafting panel, superbly led by Sara Gibbs and Natalie Wilson. I am also grateful for the inspiration of Rowshi Hussain for challenging PPE straight from graduation into various construction sites; Robbie McGregor for all his help; and the GMB team, Mel and Lynsey, for bringing their campaign for inclusive PPE to employers and to the workplace. I also place on record my thanks to my parliamentary assistant, Angus Walker-Stewart, who diligently followed me down this rabbit hole. I also take this opportunity to wish the British Standards Institution a very happy birthday—it is a big one—marking 125 years of standardising our rail gauges, plug sockets and now PPE.

I conclude my proposal of this Bill by bringing it back to where I live and where I come from politically. International Workers’ Memorial Day falls on 28 April every year. In Bathgate, where I live, we gather in Balbardie Park, which is most beautiful in the springtime, with the cherry blossoms welcoming visitors. Now designated a park of peace, this old colliery site saw at least 23 fatalities during its operation. International Workers’ Memorial Day’s motto is “Remember the dead, fight for the living”. This new inclusive PPE standard allows us to do just that and help ensure that those who go to work return home once again. With an ambitious plan to upgrade infrastructure and build 1.5 million new homes, this Labour Government can lead by example and enshrine BS 30417, or equivalent, at the heart of public sector procurement.

Question put and agreed to.

Ordered,

That Kirsteen Sullivan, Patricia Ferguson, Mike Reader, Susan Murray, Chris Kane, Douglas McAllister, Johanna Baxter, Tracy Gilbert, Elaine Stewart and Lillian Jones present the Bill.

Kirsteen Sullivan accordingly presented the Bill.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 17 April, and to be printed (Bill 404).