Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market Outlook, 2028

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is clothing worn to limit exposure to hazards that could lead to serious workplace diseases and injuries. They are mostly intended to safeguard the user from workplace dangers or health concerns. PPE is an important source of emergency and recovery worker safety. The increasing importance placed on worker safety in the oil and gas, mining, construction, and manufacturing industries will drive PPE industry trends. The market covers all safety equipment that protects users from working hazards. Employers are mostly seeking PPE gears for their personnel as they benefit from saving surplus expenses on employees’ compensations, medical expenditures, and lost manufacturing time. Strict regulatory mandates by bodies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and American National Standards Institute (ANSI), have made it compulsory for workers to ensure safe equipment usage in accident-prone areas, which, in turn, is expected to boost the PPE market size. Major players operating in the industry are adopting strategies such as partnerships, new product launches & developments and agreements to enhance their market shares and presence. In April 2020, Medicom announced setting up a mask production facility in Montreal, Quebec to support and ensure the supply of PPE during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the same year, IREMA Ireland announced to boost the production for virusblocking masks up to 250,000 units per week amidst the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, to build competitiveness, companies are increasing their existing product offerings. The majority of the market is extremely fragmented, with multiple local and regional firms present. To improve worker safety, companies are supplying customised goods such as face protection glasses, night lamp holders, and sensors. Most manufacturers engage in product and technological advancements in order to acquire a competitive advantage in both domestic and international markets.

According to the research report, “Global Personal Protective Equipment Market Outlook, 2028” the market is anticipated to cross USD 100 Billion by the end of the forecast period, increasing from USD 71.70 Billion in 2022. The global market is expected to grow with 6.21% CAGR for 2023-28. The greater awareness and familiarity with its mandate requirement in terms of safety measures in hazardous and dangerous work conditions is ascribed to the overall growth. Accelerating the unequalled relevance of shield gears for safe and secure work in mining, ships, decks, the oil and gas industry, and heavy-duty labour is likely to drive the worldwide personal protective equipment market throughout the forecast period. Government measures to impose tight rules and regulations on the use of safety equipment by the industrial and construction industries are defining market growth from 2023 to 2028. However, fluctuations in the cost of raw materials, due to drawbacks, the developing automations and robotics industry is stifling market growth with the high costing of specialised attires and cloths. Personal protection equipment (PPE) such as goggles, shield glasses, and helmets are intended to keep the user safe from harm or illness. Transportation, manufacturing, and construction are also driving market expansion. This market is expected to grow fast throughout the projected period as governments in various regions implement tight laws and policies in factories and other workplaces. New coronavirus strains are raising panic and concern in many parts of the world. This is projected to result in increased use of PPEs among people of all ages. Medical professionals are informing and educating the public about the benefits of using personal protection equipment. Therefore, several people have begun using these kits at places of public visit.

Based on the report, the global market is segmented into five major regions including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa. Among them, North America region is leading the market with over 33% market share in 2022. The personal protective equipment market in North America is majorly driven by the presence of major market players such as Ansell Limited, Honeywell International Inc, and 3M Company. The personal protective equipment market in North America is highly fragmented as many small & medium-sized companies are operating in this market. The growing automotive industry and increasing demand from the residential construction sector are driving the market in North America. The rising incidence of workplace fatalities, as well as increased worker and manufacturer knowledge of occupational safety measures, will fuel regional market growth. In the United States, Families First Coronavirus Response Act was implemented to protect public health workers and curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The surge in personal protective equipment in 2020 and restrictions on imports from foreign countries boosted domestic production. According to OSHA, the use of personal protective equipment is expected to grow in end-use industries including chemical, construction, pharmaceutical, and healthcare. The growing number of blue-collar professionals across a variety of industrial sectors is predicted to drive PPE demand. Furthermore, increased awareness of contagious diseases has increased the demand for protective clothing in law enforcement organisations. This is expected to boost the law enforcement personal protection equipment market in the coming years. Because of the expansion of the industrial development area, the personal protective equipment market has been developing at a brisk rate.

Constant innovations, such as the introduction of comfortable, lighter, high-quality fabric industrial protective equipment are expected to bolster market growth. Market expansion is expected to be facilitated by demand for protective gears that combine safety with aesthetics and advanced technology. The growing awareness among industry experts and players about the importance of employee safety and secure workplaces as a result of stringent regulations and the high cost associated with workplace hazards is expected to drive personal protective equipment demand in the market. Companies have prioritised employee safety by adopting safety norms to decrease workplace accidents and injuries, resulting in increased market growth. Companies in the market are focusing on the launch of new products to improve their product portfolio and strengthen their market position. For example, in June 2020, Apex Medical, an India based multinational corporation specializing in medical treatments, launched personal protective equipment product line to shield healthcare professionals in preventing workplace disasters. The product line include products such as gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, and safety footwear to protect healthcare workers and their patients from being infected and infecting others in health care and home care settings. In April 2020, 3M, a well-known PPE manufacturer, collaborated with Ford to develop a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) design and collaborated with Cummins, a diesel engine manufacturer, to develop additional high-efficiency particulate filters for use in its PAPRs to meet the increased demand for PPEs during the pandemic outbreak to protect health care professionals on the front lines fighting COVID-19. Cummins uses diesel engine filters to make PAPRs filter as guided by the 3M design whereas Ford increases the manufacturing capacity of existing 3M PPE products.

Based on product, the market is classified into hand protection, protective clothing, respiratory protection, protective footwear, eye and face protection, hearing protection, head protection, fall protection and others (skin protection etc.) The hand protection segment accounts for the major share of the market. The increased demand for safety gloves is expected to drive growth in the hand protection segment. Handling sharp edge items in the workplace, such as metal, abrasion, and glass, may increase product adoption. Safety gloves safeguard workers from chemical burns and metal cuts. Also, most safety gloves manufacturing companies are forming strategies including acquisition to enhance their product portfolio and boost business expansions. In February 2019, Ansell Limited acquired a provider of specialty gloves - Ringers Gloves, to serve the general and oil & gas industries. This acquisition would help both companies to strengthen their market leadership in the industrial hand protection business. Head protection is an integral component to ensure workplace safety. However, head protection is required by different individuals such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders, and linemen, among others. The most straightforward technique to safeguard an employee's head from injury is to wear a safety helmet or hard hat. Helmets or hard hats are used to protect against item penetration and to absorb the impact of hits. Hard hats or industrial safety helmets are used to guard against falling objects and swinging objects. They also safeguard workers from electrical shocks when working near exposed electrical conductors. All of these elements are projected to fuel market demand.

Head, eye, and facial protection equipment is utilised in severe situations such as shoring, shipyard employment, and the construction sector, where chemicals, radioactive irritants, and dangerous compounds can harm eyesight and hearing. Hearing protection is used at work when noise cannot be controlled at the source. To prevent occupational deafness, earplugs and sound detectors are used. Respiratory protection equipment shields workers from hazardous dusts, low oxygen levels, smokes, fogs, mists, vapours, gases, and sprays. These hazards may cause lung impairment, cancer, diseases, or death. Protective footwear including safety shoes and boots are required to be worn by all workers to prevent injuries from rolling or falling objects from an elevation. It includes rope grab, shock-absorbing lanyard, cross arm strap, retractable lifeline, full body harness, restraining belt and carabineer. Besides increasing awareness about safety at the workplace, governments of various countries are mandating the use of personal protective equipment in different industries. Accidents in the workplace have become a significant concern, paving the way for personal protective equipment. Increasing awareness about workplace safety has led end-use industries to resort to the use of personal protective equipment for their workers. Several government regulations and standards compel end-use industries to use protective equipment for workers in certain work environments. The governmental agencies are extending support to PPE manufacturers and suppliers to ensure the smooth flow of medical supplies. For instance, UNICEF launched a joint tender in April for PPE supplies during 2020 on behalf of several UN organizations.

Based on the end user segment, the healthcare industry dominated the overall market in 2022 with over 35% market share. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most industries experienced a slowdown due to stringent measures taken by governments such as lockdowns, labour shortages, supply chain failures, and financial crises. The rising prevalence of COVID-19 was a key contributor to the increase in the use of personal protective equipment globally. Factors such as the increasing demand for hospital beds and ICUs in countries with increasing incidences of COVID-19 and an increasing number of temporary hospitals are driving the demand for personal protective equipment in hospitals while treating patients. However, construction segment is expected to grow with higher CAGR by 2028. Rising construction complexity and stakeholder expectations have resulted in significant changes in the construction sector in recent decades. This safety issue affects stakeholders' expectations, elevating contractors' expectations in the current high-accident climate to perform more effectively and safely. Construction worker safety intervention must address not only the safe use of equipment and surroundings, but also the employees' knowledge and attitude towards those who provide these services. Every year, accidents occur in infrastructure projects due to a lack of awareness and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and population increase are major driving drivers. Furthermore, tight workplace safety requirements and greater acceptance of industrial safety equipment support the personal protective equipment industry. Rapid economic growth stimulates growth in the automotive and construction industries, which supports the PPE industry. Increased product development and customisation to fulfil stringent OSHA and ANSI fall prevention criteria is driving the market. Furthermore, market growth accelerates as safety concerns expand throughout the industrial sector. Several trends in the PPE industry have encouraged market expansion over the previous decade, including the acceptance of industrial safety solutions across numerous sectors, Industry 4.0, and the proliferation of industrial IoT (IIoT) solutions.

Recent Developments:

• Vizient, a healthcare organisation, agreed to purchase chemo-rated nitrile gloves from SafeSource Direct, LLC in November 2022. Vizient will be able to facilitate supply chain assurance for medical supplies such as medical gloves as a result of the arrangement.
• Cardinal Health and Zipline announced in June 2022 that they have begun long-distance drone deliveries in North Carolina. Cardinal Health provides a variety of pharmaceutical items and medical supplies to Cannon drugstore Main, an independent drugstore chain with sites throughout North Carolina. With this agreement, they can reduce the risk of inventory stock-outs and lower patient obstacles to obtaining the supplies needed to meet their requests.
• In May 2022, 3M Company will extend its operations by opening a manufacturing facility in Valley, Nebraska, United States. The company has invested around US$ 58 million in the 80,000 square foot expansion, which has resulted in the creation of approximately 50 new positions at the site. This plant will most likely produce respiratory and hearing protection items.
• Trivitron Healthcare discovered a method for space-grade radiation protective aprons in February 2022. The SpaceD Radioprotection Apron was designed specifically for healthcare personnel who spend long hours in surgery and imaging labs.
• Airxom, a French medical technology company, produced an active mask in January 2022 that filters micro and nanoparticles and protects against viruses (such as SARS-COV 2), germs, and volatile organic pollutants (nitrogen monoxide, NOX, benzene, toluene, and so on).

Covid-19 Impacts:

Market growth is being hampered by disruptions in the worldwide supply chain of personal protective equipment (PPE). Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE) has been unable to match the spike in demand. Supplies are scarce, particularly for medical masks and respirators. Other PPE, such as gloves, gowns, and goggles, have also proven insufficient to tackle the growing number of cases. For the COVID-19 response, the WHO estimates that 89 million medical masks, 76 million examination gloves, and 1.6 million medical goggles are needed per month. The shortage is mostly the result of tight containment methods such as social isolation and remote working, as well as the shutdown of industries and other economic operations. The entire supply chain has been impacted, from production to international trade. As a result, the present global stockpile is insufficient to manage the existing cases around the world. The disruption in the global supply chain of PPE raw materials caused by extended lockdown and closure of companies manufacturing and supplying them, as well as constraints in supply and logistics, including a ban on export in most countries, is impeding PPE manufacturing despite its high demand.

Major Companies present in the market:

3M, Ansell Ltd, AlphaProtech, DuPont, Avon Protection Plc , Mallcom ltd, Delta Plus Group, Honeywell International, Inc. , Lakeland Industries Inc, MSA SAFETY INC., Radians, Inc., Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Top Glove Corporation Bhd, Kimberly-Clark Corporation., Klein Tools, Inc., E D Bullard Company, MCR Safety LLC, Protective Industrial Products, Inc., FallTech , COFRA S.r.l.

Considered in this report

• Geography: Global
• Historic year: 2017
• Base year: 2022
• Estimated year: 2023
• Forecast year: 2028

Aspects covered in this report

• Global Personal Protective Equipment market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Region-wise Personal Protective Equipment market analysis
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

Regions & Countries covered in the report:

• North America (United States, Canada, Mexico)
• Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Russia)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)
• Middle-East & Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa)

By Product Type

• Hand Protection
• Protective Clothing
• Respiratory Protection
• Protective Footwear
• Eye and Face Protection
• Hearing Protection
• Head Protection
• Fall Protection
• Others (Skin Protection, etc.)

By End-Use Industry

• Healthcare
• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Oil & Gas
• Fire fighting
• Food
• Others (Mining, Transportation, Automotive)

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analyzing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; the author has started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to Artificial Lawn industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.




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