Women In Construction

by Crystal Hammersley

As the daughter of a man who owned his own contracting business, I spent many summer days on my dad’s construction sites watching him build houses, garages, and decks. I learned many skills from my father, and I’m able to handle a hammer, power saw, drill, and other tools that most women in my family never touch.

Last year, my 16-year-old sister announced that she was going to start taking wood working and construction classes. She also announced that she planned to go to Triangle Tech after graduation to follow in our father’s footsteps and become a contractor herself. At first I laughed at her. The idea of my string-bean little sister swinging a hammer was comical to me. But then I thought, why not? She had had the same experiences growing up as I did and had learned the same skills watching our dad. I’ve always been big on proving to people that women are capable of performing any job that a man can do, so why shouldn’t my sister be a female contractor?

As a man that broke his back 3 separate times – twice of which were from falling from scaffolding – on the job site, my father quickly learned that he wasn’t invincible, and that safety was an important part of his job. He was strict on wearing hard hats, safety glasses, and harnesses when he needed to. He also taught both of us the importance of safety.

SafetyGirl.com has a lot of safety equipment suitable for women, whether you are looking to fit in with traditional equipment, or want to express yourself with colorful accessories. My favorite set of safety glasses are my gumball safety glasses.

They come in a case of 10 different colors including white, black, pink, purple, and green. Plus, they aren’t very expensive considering how many pairs of glasses you get! They’re available in either regular size or specifically for smaller faces, which often fit women better and protect their eyes better than larger glasses which might slip off or leave gaps for particles to get through.

Whether you’re a woman who is making a career of it, remodeling your house, or just doing something basic, make sure you have the appropriate gloves, hard hats, safety glasses, tool belts, and any other safety equipment to keep yourself protected.