Inclusive PPE for construction workers in Ontario

New research supports safer, more comfortable work.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is safety equipment that protects workers from health and safety hazards. But it only works well when it fits the wearer properly and suits the job.

The Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness, and Performance (CISWP), a research organization that aims to make workplaces healthier, safer, and more productive, wants to help manufacturers design PPE for construction workers in Ontario’s diverse workforce that fits and works well—plus tools and equipment for a range of worker capabilities.

With that goal in mind, CISWP is capturing job-specific data about the body sizes, shapes, and abilities of workers in high-risk industries to share with manufacturers and other stakeholders.

How CISWP measures body size and strength

CISWP is developing Canada’s first job-specific database of body and strength measurements: the Multivariate Occupation Specific AnthropometrIC (MOSAIC) database.

“For years, workers have been expected to fit the equipment, not the other way around. MOSAIC is changing that. By capturing accurate data from real workers in real jobs, we are giving manufacturers the evidence they need to design PPE, tools, and equipment that truly fit today’s Canadian workforce,” says Dr. Amin Yazdani, President of CISWP.

“This is not just a design improvement—it’s a major step forward for safety, inclusion, and injury prevention across Ontario’s highest risk industries.”

To collect data, CISWP staff travel around the province and measure Ontario workers. The institute’s body-scanning technology collects more than 100 static (i.e., standing or seated) and dynamic (i.e., walking and reaching) body measurements from each participant. Researchers also scan subjects’ feet for boot and footwear design and their hands for glove and tool-handle design.

They further analyze each participant’s body composition—their percentage of fat, muscle, and bone— and collect information about their strength and ability to perform the demands of their job.

The full experience only takes about 15 minutes.

CISWP is currently focused on construction and paramedicine—sectors with high injury rates and urgent needs for better-fitting gear—but plans to include additional industries in the future.

Why PPE fit matters for worker safety

Section 25(1)(b.1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to provide PPE that fits properly and suits the job, and Section 25(d) requires them to make sure that PPE is used correctly. These are just two of the legal requirements in Ontario that recognize the importance of well-fitting PPE.

According to CISWP, when PPE, tools, and equipment fit the workers who use them, those workers are less likely to be injured or experience discomfort. Comfortable and functional PPE benefits the wearer in many ways, including:

• Reduced strain
• Increased stability and control
• Better protection from common hazards caused by ill-fitting PPE, such as slipping, tripping, and restricted movement

Workers are also more likely to wear comfortable PPE, use it as prescribed by the manufacturer, and take care of the equipment.

How the data aids inclusive PPE design

According to CISWP, PPE design used to rely on outdated, international datasets. The MOSAIC database will give manufacturers modern, job-specific body and strength measurements representative of Canada’s diverse workforce.

“The strength of MOSAIC comes from the workers and organizations who open their doors to us,” says Nicki Islic, CISWP’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships. “Their participation is helping shape safer, more inclusive tools, equipment, and PPE for the entire province.”

CISWP seeks out workers of all body types, genders, ages, backgrounds, abilities, and geographic locations to participate in data collection, as well as those in emerging talent pools and under-represented groups. This approach helps them capture the current workforce and support the next generation of workers.

As of March 2026, CISWP had measured about 600 participants in communities across Ontario, including Timmins, Thunder Bay, Morrisburg, Sarnia, Toronto, London, and Waterloo. This number includes data collected from training participants at IHSA’s Etobicoke training centre.

Where to find the data

CISWP plans to start sharing its data in 2027, as sample sizes for each job become large enough to ensure the numbers protect participant anonymity and are representative of the workforce. The institute’s database will continue to be updated over time.

By making the database publicly available, CISWP will help researchers, safety leaders, ergonomists, manufacturers, product designers, and other stakeholders create safer, more inclusive products that protect workers and improve ergonomics in the construction industry.

Identifying job-specific exposure risks

CISWP is also leading the first-of-its-kind Canadian Database of Occupation-Specific Exposures (DOSE): workers are fitted with sensors that they wear as they perform their daily tasks, to collect data about the conditions and exposures they face.

“While MOSAIC tells us about the worker, DOSE tells us about the job,” says Dr. Marcus Yung, Senior Director of Research at CISWP. “Together, they give us the clearest picture of how work and the worker interact, which is essential to keeping all Canadian workers safer.”

CISWP is currently working with construction workers and paramedics, but plans to expand to the transportation, electrical utilities, and aggregates industries and other high-risk environments. These industries traditionally have limited and outdated exposure data, according to CISWP.

DOSE collects data about the physical, biomechanical, cognitive, psychological, and environmental demands workers experience on the job. The data will help safety professionals, employers, and policy makers improve job design, staffing, training, and hazard controls.

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