Gender-specific design urged for protective equipment and medical tools

Health experts and labor representatives are calling for gender-specific design in protective equipment and medical tools, noting that current standards are historically oriented toward male body measurements. Claudia Neumayer-Stickler, head of the health department at the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB), warns that failing to account for physical differences between genders can diminish the effectiveness of safety gear and create workplace risks.

Data from the 2026 absenteeism report indicates that women averaged 15.5 sick days, compared to 14.1 days for men. Beyond workplace safety, these anatomical discrepancies extend to medical care. Tanja Katharina Rudolph from the Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW notes that medical instruments, such as heart catheters, are primarily designed for male anatomy. This lack of standardization contributes to higher mortality rates for women with coronary heart disease, which stands at 14.4% compared to 10.1% for men, and can lead to delayed diagnoses of symptoms like heart attacks.