When I was invited to write an article for the blog, I said to myself: Mmm! What subject could I speak about??? Health and safety is such a vast area... What topic might interest readers? Well, I thought about this, being a woman among construction men!
I have been working in the field of health and safety on industrial sites for over 10 years now…
In 10 years, I have had contact with at least a thousand workers, supervisors, project managers; you name it! But in total, I had to rub elbows with, I think, a maximum of 20 women! Of course, I am talking about women on the sites and not those who work in offices. I remember when I was in college, I told my classmates that one day I was going to do health and safety on construction sites, and everyone said: “Are you sick? It’s too rough on construction sites. You’ll never make it!”
Well, I succeeded and no, in the end it's not so “rough”!!! I’m not saying every day is fun. Admittedly, I had to make several interventions which were more delicate or even difficult and I had, of course, several confrontations. But nowadays, the construction world is more and more aware and most of the workers I work with are not "goons". On the other hand, I know women who found it "rough" during the 80s and 90s. It must be said that at that time, we were in the infancy of health and safety in Quebec and that women in construction were outcasts. These are the women who persisted and traced the path in which I find myself today and I thank them.
One project, which I worked on last year, was undoubtedly my "top" as far as female presence; three electricians, two boilermakers and myself. Wow! Six women on a construction site of eight hundred people. So many women at the same time, never seen that before! However, I was the only one who wore a white hat! Several times on this same site, workers asked me if I found it difficult to work in a male-dominated environment. Just like my classmates in college and even though they work in this environment, the perception of a "rough" world persists for women on construction sites...
I knowingly believe that women have their place on construction sites and that they are very well received by the community.
JI would even say that women bring a dose of restraint, of questioning and communicate more easily.
Certainly, seen from the outside, the construction world is, and will undoubtedly remain a male domain. I do not expect a massive entry of women in pink boots on our sites. The construction world is, in essence, a micro society in which brotherhood, respect and friendship reign. You must find your place, be respected and, in my opinion, working on a construction site is undoubtedly a place where the female gender finds its place.
So, ladies, have no fear and assume that you are a woman among construction men.
