French Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market, Forecast to 2022

France is one of the largest regional markets for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Western Europe. The manufacturing sector in France is growing and unemployment is decreasing, which drives the use of PPE. Market participants include both global manufacturers as well as a large number of local competitors. This study provides an insight into this regional market for PPE. Top end-user industries and regional market trends are discussed. Revenue estimates and forecasts are provided for different types of PPE such as above-the-neck protection, respiratory protection, disposable and non-disposable hand protection, protective apparel, foot protection, fall protection, and gas detectors. Specific growth opportunities in the French PPE market are also discussed.

Within the French manufacturing sector, certain segments drive the use greater than others. Automotive, transportation, and general manufacturing are all major parts of the manufacturing sector and large users of personal protection equipment, including hand protection, foot protection, hearing protection, safety helmets, eye protection, and protective apparel. Investments into infrastructure are increasing, which is leading to greater use of all types of personal protection equipment, including fall protection for the construction and telecommunications industry. Following the 2009 EU directive, France has made strides to increase the use of renewable energy. Windmill construction and maintenance is driving the growth of fall protection like harnesses and netting. Fall protection is growing the fastest in the French PPE market but hand protection is a much larger segment due to its prevalence in all industries that require any PPE. Other industries that require personal protection equipment like oil and gas and mining do not make up a large portion of the manufacturing sector.

The safety standards in France have followed European Union directives and have been developed locally by the Ministry of Labour and the Steering Committee on Working Conditions (COCT). Currently, these standards are changing slightly due to recent European Union regulations (2016/425) that will apply in the EU. Discussion of these new standards and the impact on France are in this study. The changes mandated for certain personal protection equipment, like hearing protection, will have an impact on certain industries like construction.

The distribution of personal protection equipment in France is fragmented, involving many localised specialty distributors, technical traders, and office supplies distributors as well as a few international distributors. End users expect all PPE to meet safety standards, as France is a safety-conscious country. One-stop shopping is growing for commodity versions of PPE while expertise in PPE preferred in high-risk safety scenarios. Customised products are also preferred in France. French end users have a preference for European-made products, especially those made in France due to a perceived better product quality.

The greatest growth opportunities within the French PPE market are detailed in this report. These business opportunities are based on the analysis of the French market in terms of the use of PPE, the growth of certain manufacturing sectors, the growth of certain PPE segments, the distribution trends in France, and upcoming innovations in the personal protection equipment industry. Capitalising on these growth opportunities should lead to substantial short-term and long-term growth.