Lisneal student's design leads to custom-made PPE for female workers in Derry

Terex has addressed gender disparities in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) through a school competition hosted by its Campsie site, where local students had the opportunity to design PPE tailored specifically for female workers.

Leona McGee, Senior HR Advisor, Terex Campsie said: “There is an obvious gap in PPE design, with most safety workwear being designed with male workers in mind. While we’ve been actively recruiting females to join our manufacturing workforce, they have often struggled with ill-fitting and uncomfortable workwear. Our Female Workwear Schools Competition provided an opportunity for students to showcase their creative talents while producing fit-for- purpose PPE for our female workers.”

Collaboration with Local Schools Terex Campsie invited five local schools – Thornhill, Lumen Christi, Limavady Grammar, Lisneal College, and Limavady High School – to take part in a competition to design new uniforms for the female workforce at their facility. Students were presented with a challenge: design PPE that prioritises safety, comfort, and functionality while meeting a set budget.

In preparation, the schools visited Terex Campsie for a factory tour, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of Terex and its machinery and took part in a focus group with female fitters to better understand their needs. On the designated day, each group presented their designs and reasoning to a judging panel comprised Terex Campsie’s management team. While the level of detail and creativity demonstrated by the students made the task of selecting a winner a challenging one for the judges. Sophie Magee from Lisneal College emerged as the winner, impressing the judges with her understanding of the issues faced by female workers and her dedication to finding a solution. Both Sophie and Michael Allen, Principal of Lisneal College, were invited to Terex Campsie for the uniform reveal.

“Seeing my design produced and worn is a surreal experience, seeing it there in real life is just amazing,” said Sophie.

Michael Allen, Principal of Lisneal College said: “We are incredibly proud of Sophie. As a technology and design teacher myself, I know how big of a deal it is to get an idea from mind to paper and then into reality. I can’t thank Terex enough; they looked after Sophie so well and have given the school such a brilliant opportunity with this competition.

Leona added: "We are incredibly proud of the collaboration between Terex and the talented students in the northwest. Working with our local schools helps us break the gender stereotypes around careers in manufacturing. By educating students about our industry, we can empower young girls to feel more confident in pursuing a career in manufacturing. Congratulations to Sophie – we hope the experience has inspired her as much as it has inspired us.”

The competition has certainly stroked a chord with Sophie, who added: “My favourite subjects are technology and art so a career in manufacturing or engineering - maybe even at Terex - would be amazing when I’m older!”