Women’s Overalls

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Women’s Overalls

Interviewing: April 28 - May 8

668 women were interviewed, including 153 subject to hazards of heat and burning, 299 to oil, grease and fats, and 208 to acids and corrosive substances.

I. TYPE WORN AND TYPE CONSIDERED BEST FOR WORK

	HEAT & BURNING		OIL, GREASE & FATS		ACIDS & CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES		Total considered best for work
	Type worn	Type best for work	Type worn	Type best for work	Type worn	Type best for work	Total considered best for work
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Boiler suit	24	35	29	35	13	23	31
Bib & brace	31	23	12	12	4	2	12
Jacket	1	-	1	1	1	-	1
Trousers	3	4	2	2	1	1	2
Pln. Sleeved	32	30	48	42	55	60	45
Pttnd. Sleeved	3	1	4	3	11	4	3
Pln. Sleeveless	6	3	6	2	12	6	3
Pttnd. Sleeveless	1	-	1	1	1		2
Jacket & trousers	-	-	2	-	1	-	-
Not worn	3	2	2	-	-	-	1
No information	-	1	-	1	-	1	-
SAMPLE	153	153	299	299	208	208	660

Plain sleeved overalls are both worn and preferred by the majority in the acids and corrosive group. They are also worn more frequently than other types in the other groups.

The discrepancy between the type worn and the type preferred is most considerable in the case of boiler suits. In all groups more would prefer boiler suits than wear them.

The numbers who had been in their jobs for more than two years are insufficient to give breakdowns by length of time in job, except in the case of workers exposed to hazards of acids and corrosive substances.

	ACIDS & CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES
Types preferred	Up to 2 years	Over 2 years	Total
	%	%	%
Boiler suit	33	10	23
Plain sleeved overall	46	78	60
All other types	21	12	17
SAMPLE	118	90	208

A higher proportion of the older workers prefer the plain sleeved overall, the newer workers showing a higher proportion than the older in favour of boiler suits.

Breakdowns of the type worn by the type preferred are as follows:-

Best Type	Plain sleeved overall	OIL, GREASE & FATS		Others	Sample
		Type worn
		Boiler suit	Other coat overalls
	%	%	%	%	%
Plain sleeved overall	94	2	13	2	126
Boiler suit	12	76	2	10	105

Best Type	Plain sleeved	Patterned sleeved	ACIDS & CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES		Others	Sample
			Type Worn
			Plain Sleeveless	Patterned Sleeveless
	%	%	%	%	%
Plain sleeved	80	10	9	14	2	124

Numbers are insufficient to give breakdowns for other types of overalls and for the heat and burning group.

However, it may be said that in the heat and burning group, about two-thirds of those who preferred boiler suits were wearing them.

II. ALTERNATIVE TYPES

Women were asked what type of overall would do instead of the type considered best.

		OILS, GREASE & FATS
		Alternative types
Best type	Boiler suit	Bib & brace	Plain sleeved	Patterned sleeved	Others	Sample
Best type	%	%	%	%	%
Plain sleeved	18	8	(48)	10	5	126
Boiler suit	(28)	38	17	-	6	105

ACIDS & CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES

Best type	Plain sleeved	Alternative types		Boiler suit	Bib & brace	Others Sample
	Plain sleeved	Patterned sleeved	Plain sleeveless	Boiler suit	Bib & brace	Others Sample
	%	%	%	%	%	%
Plain sleeved	48	12	8	10	8	3 124

In the case of heat and burning, numbers are insufficient to give results.

III. REASONS FOR PREFERENCE

Reasons for preferences are given below in cases where sufficient numbers are include.

	BOILER SUITS		PLAIN SLEEVED OVERALLS
	Oil, grease and fats	All Workers	Oil, grease and fats	Acids &corrosives	All Workers
	%	%	%	%	%
Comfortable. More freedom of movement. Convenient	20	16	33	19	25
Cool	1	1	6	4	3
Give most protection. Cover us all over. Cleaner, Saves clothes. Protects arms & legs	73	81	52	58	55
Hard wearing. Serviceable	2	4	5	15	9
Easy to wash	-	-	2	-	2
Used to them. Not worn other types	3	2	3	-	2
No information	3	3	13	6	9
SAMPLE	105	206	126	124	296

IV. ANALYSIS BY REGION

Analysis of hazard groups by area is as follows;-

Hazard Group	London	South, S.W. & E. Anglia	Midlands & Wales	Northern England	Scotland	Total
Hazard Group	%	%	%	%	%	%
Heat & burning	23	22	21	26	27	24
Oils, grease & fats	37	60	46	43	41	45
Acids & corrosives	40	18	33	31	32	31
SAMPLE	136	123	167	169	73	668

It should be borne in mind in considering regional results that the numbers in each area are small, and also that the actual proportion of workers subject to the different kinds of hazards in different areas is not known.

The table below showing the types of overall preferred by area should be considered with these reservations in mind.

Type Preferred

	London	South, S.W. & E. Anglia	Midlands & Wales	Northern England	Scotland	Total
	%	%	%	%	%	%
Boiler suit	25	37	25	28	53	31
Bib & brace	11	10	12	14	12	12
Jacket	-	-	-	2	-	1
Trousers	1	5	1	2	-	2
Plain sleeved	50	38	53	43	31	45
Patterned sleeved	3	2	4	3	1	3
Plain sleeveless	6	4	2	4	-	3
Patterned sleeveless	2	5	1	1	-	2
Not worn	2	-	-	-	-	1
No information	-	-	1	2	1	1
SAMPLE	136	123	167	169	73	668

V. WHERE OVERALLS WERE OBTAINED

Women obtained overalls from different sources in the following proportions:

	% those wearing overalls
Large local shop	42
Small local shop	12
Employer	40
Second-hand	1
No information	4
SAMPLE	657

Only in the case of those preferring boiler suits and plain sleeved overalls are the numbers sufficient to give a breakdown by type of overall.

	Boiler Suit	Plain sleeved
	%	%
Large local shop	28	43
Small local shop	9	13
Employer	56	40
Second-hand	1	-
No information	7	4
SAMPLE	209	300

Analysis of where overalls were obtained by area should be considered with the same reservation in mind as in the case of the types preferred. The numbers in different areas are small, and the results may be dependent to some extent on the type preferred and on the composition of the regional samples in respect of different hazard groups.

	London	South, S.W. & E. Anglia	Midlands & Wales	Northern England	Scotland	Total
	%	%	%	%	%	%
Large local shop	56	43	31	37	54	42
Small local shop	14	14	11	13	10	12
Employer	29	38	48	44	36	40
Second-hand	1	-	1	2	-	1
No imformation	1	5	9	3	-	4
SAMPLE	133	123	165	164	72	657

VI. EXTENT TO WHICH HAD BOUGHT OVERALLS SINCE CHRISTMAS

	% those wearing overalls
Had tried to buy	41
Had not tried to buy	48
No information	11
SAMPLE	657

Of those preferring boiler suits, 28% had tried to buy since Christmas, and of those preferring the plain sleeved type, 45% had tried to buy.

Numbers are not sufficient to give results for other types of overall.

The proportions trying to buy in different regions were as follows:-

% trying to buy	London	South, S.W. & E. Anglia	Midlands & Wales	Northern England	Scotland	Total
% trying to buy	45	37	41	39	46	41
SAMPLE	133	123	165	164	72	657

Those women who had tried to buy overalls were asked whether they had had any difficulty.

	% those trying to buy
Had difficulty	30
No difficulty	69
No information	1
SAMPLE	271

The number who had had difficulty is not sufficient for the results of subsequent questions to be statistically reliable. However, it may be said that about one-fifth said that overalls were unobtainable, and about a quarter that they were unable to get the right type for their work.

VII. SHRINKING

Women who wore overalls were asked whether they shrank in the wash:-

	% those wearing overalls
Yes	50
No	42
No information	8
SAMPLE	655

Those who said that their overalls shrank were asked what material they were made of. Only 66% of them were able to specify the material. Replies were as follows:-

Material or type	% of those who said overalls shrank in wash
Drill	19
Twill	9
Cotton	6
Utility	16
Other types	16
Unspecified	34
SAMPLE	324

Comparison of (1) Type preferred by type worn and (2) Type preferred by suggested alternative in three hazard groups

TYPES WORN	Boiler suit		Bib & brace	Jacket	Trousers	Plain sleeved	Patterned sleeved		Plain sleeveless	Patterned sleeveless	Total of types worn
	No.	%	No.	No.	No.	No.	No.	%	No.	No.	No.	%
Boiler suit	142	69	4	-	-	4	1	-	-	-	150	23
Bib & brace	26	13	55	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	83	13
Jacket	-	-	4	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	6	1
Trousers	1	-	-	-	6	1	-	-	-	-	8	1
Jacket & trousers	5	2	-	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	9	1
Plain sleeved	26	13	11	-	5	231	78	-	2	-	275	42
Patterned sleeved	2	1	2	-	-	17	6	14	2	-	275	42
Plain sleeveless	4	2	1	-	1	18	6	3	15	-	42	7
Patterned sleeveless	1	-	2	-	-	23	8	2	4	11	43	7
TOTAL of preferences given	206		78	4	13	296		18	23	11	649
ALTERNATIVE TYPES
Boiler suit	70	34	23	3	3	43	15	3	-	1	146	23
Bib & brace	67	33	33	-	-	22	7	1	-	-	123	19
Jacket	4	2	1	-	-	4	1	-	-	-	9	2
Trousers	3	2	6	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	13	2
Jacket & trousers	13	6	1	-	-	5	2	-	-	-	19	3
Plain sleeved	34	17	10	-	5	134	45	8	8	-	199	31
Patterned sleeved	-	-	1	-	-	35	12	1	1	-	38	6
Plain sleeveless	1	1	2	-	-	17	6	1	7	8	36	6
Patterned sleeveless	14	-	-	-	-	4	1	2	4	2	12	2
No alternative	14	7	1	1	1	32	11	2	3	-	54	8
TOTAL of preferences given	206		78	4	13	296		18	23	11	649

( Note. Vertical totals under “Types worn” add to more than horizontal of “Preference given” because in some cases women mentioned two types of overall; either of which they usually wore for work.)

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