Need for Protective Equipment to grow, says report

The acknowledgement of the need for Personal Protective Equipment by both industrial corporations and their workforces will be the key driver for growth in the European PPE Market, says a report

The acknowledgement of the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by both industrial corporations and their workforces will be the key driver for growth in the European PPE Market.

In a new study, Frost and Sullivan forecast that this new acceptance of PPE will help the market grow by more than a billion dollars to over $4.5 billion by 2006.

Gone are the days of corporations who view safety-wear solely as a cost, and gone are the workers who refuse to wear personal safety equipment for fear of denting their 'macho' image.

PPE is now more widely regarded as an investment against both the human costs of accidents to the individual and the financial costs to the company.

More than ever before, company management are actively promoting the need for its use, and the development of more comfortable and fashionable products means that its use is increasingly accepted by the end users.

"Promotion of safety in the workplace has become a hot issue" explains Louise Earnshaw Frost and Sullivan Chemicals Research Manager.

"With the streamlining of the European legislation governing PPE more industry bodies are working to spread the safety message.

And, as sales of PPE are essentially underpinned by this legislation we should see them increase".

The PPE market is made up from head, face and respiratory devices, clothing, footwear and gloves.

The largest revenue generating sector is protective clothing, which accounted for $1.2 billion in 2000.

And, the report predicts that this will continue to be the strongest performing field reaching 41.6% of all revenues by 2007.

(Embedded image moved to file: pic07818.pcx) One key growth area is the provision of PPE for women workers who are now being employed much more widely in sectors like construction and manufacturing where PPE is essential.

This trend demands careful planning on the part of the manufacturers both for technical and aesthetic aspects of design to ensure they capitalise on potential opportunities.

All round, there is a push to make PPE more fashionable and comfortable to wear to encourage its use in the workplace.

From the corporations, there is a call for improved quality and functionality of goods.

This could be good news for the manufacturers on one hand as it would support an increase in unit price, but on the other hand, could lead to a reduction in the number of replacement items purchased.

The report also takes a close look at the technologies and sources of the increasingly advanced textiles used in PPE such as breathable laminates and coatings and those used in flame and fire resistant applications.

It is expected that use of these specialised textiles, particularly where the textile brand is desirable, and degree of functionality built into each garment will be the key factors that will support unit price growth at this top end of the market.

Earnshaw concludes: "Throughout Europe there are wide differences in end-user requirements.

Any company wishing to participate on a pan-European basis must understand the demands of each local market in terms of functionality, styling and ethnic sizing.".

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