Katy, who graduated from the Construction Project Management course in 2024, is now a senior project manager for East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s infrastructure and facilities department. She won the award for spearheading a nationwide campaign calling for more inclusive PPE for women working in the construction industry, who can find workwear ill-fitting and unsafe, a campaign started during her time at Sheffield Hallam.
The research that Katy undertook as part of her dissertation provided valuable findings and insight into the current situation surrounding personal protective equipment in the construction industry. The results highlighted how widespread the issue is:
• 94.1% of women and 56.6% of men reported experiencing ill-fitting PPE.
• 11% of men and 10% of women reported that poor fit had led to health and safety issues.
These figures reinforce that ill-fitting PPE is not just uncomfortable, it’s unsafe. For women especially, PPE that has been designed around a “one-size-fits-all” approach simply doesn’t provide the protection it should.
This research is now being utilised alongside the release of the new British Standard BS 30417, to encourage the industry to drive meaningful change through providing better PPE to their workers, not just in construction, but in every industry.
Katy also won the Local Hero award for the North East region at ceremony.
Katy said: “I feel honoured and deeply grateful to be named Most Influential Overall and Local Hero – North East. To win these awards during the same week that our new British Standard BS 30417 – Provision of Inclusive PPE, has been released feels like a full-circle moment. I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved, and I’m so inspired by the incredible people across the construction industry who are driving progress and change in their own ways.
“The release of the new British Standard marks the achievement of one of the campaign’s main goals, but this is not the end of the journey – rather the beginning of a wider culture shift. I’m looking forward to seeing how the standard is adopted, not only in construction, but in all other industries too.”
Dr. Mark Swallow, course leader for Construction Project Management, said: “Katy was an outstanding student on our Construction Project Management course here at Sheffield Hallam University. Throughout her studies she demonstrated exceptional determination and drive, consistently achieving excellent academic results while also standing out as a role model for women in construction. She was deeply committed to promoting equality in the sector, raising awareness of opportunities for women and encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.
“Beyond her university work, Katy made a significant impact in the wider industry through her inspirational involvement with activities such as Constructing Excellence and the Considerate Constructors Scheme.”
Mark was recently awarded ‘Mentor of the Year’ at the 2025 G4C (Generation 4 Change) Yorkshire and Humber awards for his commitment to developing the future leaders of the industry, investing time and nurturing while offering support and guidance.
Hallam graduates also picked up a variety of awards on the night. Alex Taylor and Max Molley, BSc Quantity Surveying graduates, were awarded ‘Woman in Construction of The Year’ and ‘New Professional of The Year’, respectively. Rebecca Sleight, a BSc Building Surveying graduate, was awarded the ‘G4C Future Leader’ award and Robert Earle was highly commended for the ‘Higher Education Student of The Year’ award.
The G4C Yorkshire & Humber awards reward achievement for organisations and individuals who are successfully pushing the UK built environment industry forward.
