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NeverNude Coveralls weren’t born from a desire to innovate for innovation’s sake. They were born to meet the tough reality of rural and remote work with one objective: Dignity in the workplace isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity.
I am a geotechnical engineer with over 10 years of field experience and the inventor of NeverNude Coveralls: The coveralls that give you daily dignity because you don’t need to fully remove them to relieve yourself.
The Moment It Clicked
Geotechnical engineers are among the first on any site because their data is what tells everyone else what can be built. That means when I roll up to a site, it’s just me in my truck and two colleagues with a drill rig.
I remember as a newly graduated engineer that my first “real” job was being sent out into the field to learn how to drill boreholes, collect soil samples, and conduct site investigations. It was also the first time I asked, “Where is the bathroom?” and was pointed to a stand of trees.
That same day, I decided this was a problem for me to solve. I found a link online for a five-gallon bucket with an attachable toilet seat and a small pop-up tent – my very own portable outhouse! It wasn’t glamorous, but after my prickly encounter with the trees earlier that day, it was a huge improvement.
I sent these links to my manager and my new boss with the caption, “I have solved our field bathroom issues!” The response I received? Applause for being funny, a note that they were glad they hired me, and no permission to purchase. That set the tone for the remainder of my time at that company: I was there to get work done, not solve problems.
Why Inclusion Matters
Fast-forward 10 years and I find myself at a consulting firm when I hear from the hallway, “… and I peed on my coveralls again.” An engineer had been on site, had to do a nature pee and – as it happens – she accidentally soaked her coveralls. And, she had to keep working in urine-soaked coveralls. Something in my brain clicked, and I popped my head into the hallway to ask, “If I made you coveralls that you didn’t have to drop on the ground, would you wear them?”
Unlike the five-gallon pail toilet, I couldn’t find anything to match what I saw in my mind. I was looking for a blue fire-resistant (FR) coverall with striping that had a trap door on the back. There were some women-only options available, but none with stripes and none with FR. So, I started buying any old FR coveralls on Facebook Marketplace and cutting them up in the basement. Even with my limited background in tailoring, I knew this had to be possible.
I cut and sewed and seam-ripped my way through complications into a simple, elegant change: A semi-separable rear access panel that conveniently zips up and hides away.
The name wrote itself: NeverNude Coveralls. Because you never want to be nude on site again.
Observations Along the Way
One thing I’ve learned is that we don’t talk about going to the bathroom. We have tailgate sheets that discuss every possible outcome on the site for safe work and for emergencies. However, there are no spaces on our safety sheets about where and how to go to the bathroom safely. If you have a portable toilet on site, this seems like a non-issue. But most sites I worked on were temporary sites that were active for less than 24 hours and had no portable toilets required. Why is this not on the safety sheet?
There are significant physical and mental issues that can snowball if you continually delay or deny bathroom access when the urge is there. This is a health and safety issue that we need to talk about.
So, now I talk about it: at conferences, on LinkedIn, wherever I can. I make free worksheets so you can talk to your HR or OH&S reps about getting the conversation started. We are losing daily dignity when everyone is too embarrassed to be the first one to bring it up.
Another reality is that safety workwear and PPE for women are hot topics right now. It turns out if the gear doesn’t fit right, it’s not exactly safe. The CSA Group did a study called “Canadian Women’s Experiences with Personal Protective Equipment in the Workplace,” which was published in November 2022, that revealed some shocking findings: Approximately 40 percent of the women surveyed experienced injuries or incidents that they attributed to ill-fitting PPE.
However, when women make up less than five percent of the workforce in an industry, having a solution that is gender-based can be seen as a poor investment. NeverNude Coveralls are inclusive and work for everyone – because we all deserve a dignified bathroom break.
I found that as soon as I made this an inclusive rather than exclusive issue, conversations with decision-makers were much more open. Were these coveralls designed by a woman for other women? Yes. But everyone can benefit from their own pair of NeverNude Coveralls.
In a world where attracting and retaining talent is increasingly challenging, solutions like these offer a small but essential promise: Dignity every day, at every bathroom trip. Designing for dignity and inclusion creates environments where people don’t just show up – they stay. And that is how we build a future where everyone belongs.
How to Get Your Own NeverNude Coveralls
NeverNude Coveralls has completed a pilot project in the potash mining sector in Saskatchewan and would like to run more pilot projects for units of up to 100 coveralls for companies that are looking to create dignified, inclusive environments. Contact us about pilot projects for your workplace or personal alterations.
Because coveralls can be very particular to the sites they are on, we are also willing to alter and work with any FR coveralls in good condition. Purchase FR2-altered coveralls on our website. We also are currently working on partnering with manufacturers to distribute to a larger audience.
For more information, see the about NeverNude Coveralls website.
Headline photo: NeverNude Founder Melissa Kober Meier in the park behind the refineries in Edmonton. “For the sake of authenticity, we were out there when it was -30 degrees.” Photos courtesy of Mekomi Solutions.
Melissa Kober Meier, P.Eng., PMP, is a geotechnical engineer turned entrepreneur and the founder of Mekomi Solutions, creator of NeverNude™ Coveralls – innovative FR/AR protective gear designed with discreet bathroom access built-in. With over a decade in fieldwork, Meier uses her technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and lived experience to bridge gaps in workplace safety, inclusivity and dignity. She has led pilot projects in Canada’s potash mining industry, speaks regularly on bathroom access as a safety issue, and is building partnerships to scale her solution. Meier lives in Edmonton, AB, Canada, and is driven by her mission to help women – and all field workers – work with safety, dignity and respect.
LinkedIn: Melissa Kober Meier LinkedIn
Instagram: NeverNude Coveralls Instagram
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