No size fits all – size inclusive workwear on its way
Imagine going to work every day wearing clothes that don't really fit you – maybe the sleeves are too short, the legs are too long, and the cut is not comfortable. That has been the reality for our seafaring colleagues for a long time.?
For years, the seafarers’ main work clothing has been the boilersuit, and although it is a good fit for many, a lot of our seafaring colleagues do not fit the standard sizing. A working group was established to investigate how to solve this issue, and it was quickly decided to look at it?broadly from a size inclusive perspective.
“It is important for us to ensure a safe and inclusive workplace and size inclusive workwear is an important element. Besides the nuisance of not having workwear that fit, it’s also a safety risk. Our seafaring colleagues are onboard the vessels for weeks and months and it is our responsibility to ensure both their well-being and their safety.” Leonardo Sonzio, Head of Fleet Management & Technology.
A survey was sent out to the seafarers and more than 4,000 responded. The results were pretty clear; there was a problem with the fit. To accommodate for the many different wishes from the seafarers, it was decided to investigate a more size inclusive alternative to the boilersuit, but also to keep the boilersuit – effectively giving the seafarers more options to choose from.
"In the work group, which also includes Marine Standards and the Culture Transformation team, we wanted to ensure that all opinions were heard and so we decided to keep the boilersuit as well as offer a two-piece set consisting of overalls and a long-sleeved shirt, which also caters for warmer climates. Going forward, we aim to include other more adjustable elements in the catalogue, but for now we are concentrating on providing the overalls and the long-sleeved shirts.” Maris Vette, Category Manager.
Needless to say, it is big task to provide all vessels with size inclusive workwear as Maersk in average uses an enormous number of boiler suits per year. The first batch of overalls and shirts are expected to be delivered during Q3 and hereafter the vessels can start ordering.