Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Hand Protection, Eye & Face Protection {Safety Spectacles, Safety Goggles, Welding Shields}, Hearing Protection {Ear Plugs, Cap Mounted Earmuffs}, Protective Clothing, Respiratory Protection {Air Purifying Respirators & Supplied Air Respirators}, Protective Footwear, Fall Protection {Soft Goods, Hard Goods, Full Body Harness}, Head Protection), By End-use Industry (Manufacturing, Construction, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Healthcare), & Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The global personal protective equipment (PPE) market size was valued at USD 83.91 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 87.69 billion in 2024 to USD 128.57 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period. North America dominated the personal protective equipment market with a market share of 33.69% in 2023. Moreover, the personal protective equipment market size in the U.S. is projected to grow significantly, reaching an estimated value of USD 37.98 billion by 2032, driven by the growing infrastructure and construction projects in the country.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is majorly used to protect the user from safety hazards or workplace health. PPE is a significant source of emergency and recuperation of workers' safety. The growing consideration of workers’ safety in oil & gas, mining, construction, and manufacturing industries will drive market trends. The market includes all safety gear designed to protect users from various workplace hazards.

Employers are mostly seeking PPE gear for their personnel, benefiting from saving surplus expenses on employees’ compensations, medical expenditures, and lost manufacturing time. Strict regulatory mandates from bodies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) make it compulsory for workers to ensure the safe usage of equipment in accident-prone areas. This, in turn, is expected to boost the PPE industry size.

The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread across regions and countries, causing a huge impact on all levels of the supply chain. The PPE market's supply chain struggled to function adequately, unable to meet the surging demand for products. Moreover, constraints in supply and logistics, including a ban on exports of the products and other key materials, came into focus. The abrupt disruptions in the supply chain from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a major global producer of personal protective equipment and the first country affected by the coronavirus pandemic, had repercussions for Asia Pacific and the rest of the world.

Personal Protective Equipment Market Trends

Utilization of Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials for Manufacturing Safety Gloves Shall Drive Market

Glove manufacturers in the U.S. are making efforts to make the environment greener, safer, and cleaner. Every year, millions of gloves end up in landfills, causing soil pollution. Recently, companies such as Showa, Globus, and others have introduced biodegradable disposable nitrile gloves, encouraging the development of green products. Glove producers can reduce their energy footprint by designing new machines or modifying existing machines to lower energy consumption. Additionally, companies can offer packaging made from 100% recycled materials for inner dispensers and outer cases made from 100% post-consumer waste.

Sustainable Usage of Hard Hats to Propel Market Share

The ongoing trend of using eco-friendly materials to maintain environmental safety has led to a rise in the industrial head protection market. Companies are sourcing eco-friendly raw materials such as fossil fuels to manufacture safety helmets and leveraging technological advancements to augment product demand. For instance, MSA offers V-Gard GREEN Hard Hat USDA Certified Bio-based with 95% bio-based content. These helmets are manufactured from a biopolymer named Green High-Density Polyethylene (GHDPE), mainly made from sugarcane-based ethanol. The product offers the benefits of reducing atmospheric CO2 and curbing carbon emissions associated with GHDPE production.

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PPE Market Growth Factors

Security and Safety Compliances at Workplace to Augment PPE Market Growth

The increasing awareness of workers’ safety and health, along with surging industry fatalities, fosters the market. The market includes protective clothing, earplugs, emergency escape devices, eyewear, footwear, full-body harnesses, goggles, protective gloves, and safety helmets.

The increasing number of fatality rates or hazards in the workplace has forced workers to use personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure individuals' safety. For instance, according to the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), there was an 8% drop in the fatal accident rate and a reduction in fatalities in the oil & gas industry from 33% in 2017 to 31% in 2019. NIOSH has provided guidelines to reduce the chances of these fatalities by performing hazard evaluations at the well site, educating workers about the risks linked to tank gauging, implementing respiratory protection like Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), and establishing protocols for emergency medical response in case of an incident.

Moreover, OSHA has framed occupational health and safety regulations in the U.S. to promote the proper usage of the product. In addition, various compliance consulting firms provide recognized certifications and tests for proper product usage to maintain a healthy workplace environment.  

Growth in the Construction Industry to Drive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market

According to market analysis, the growing infrastructure and construction projects in the U.S., China, and India present significant opportunities for market expansion. As per OSHA, in 2020, the construction industry accounted for more than 995 out of 4,500 fatalities, primarily resulting from incidents such as collapses, falls, being hit by objects, electrocution, trench and equipment malfunctions such as those involving forklifts and cranes.

Falls are the major reason for the construction sector's rising fatality rates. According to OSHA, construction-related falls result in around 100,000 injuries and nearly 100 to 200 deaths every year. The increasing novel infrastructure projects for residential and commercial building developments shall boost the personal protective equipment (PPE) market growth. Furthermore, construction workers wear protective boots or shoes with puncture-resistant and slip-resistant soles to prevent crushed toes when working around falling objects or heavy equipment. Stringent regulatory policies, norms, and high mortality rates have been established to safeguard workers’ well-being, contributing to market growth.  

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Sales of Inexpensive and Low-quality Products to Restrict Market Growth

Insufficient consumer knowledge about workplace dangers, coupled with the availability of subpar, cheap products, might impede market expansion. Additionally, the risk of counterfeit, low-quality, and alternative products could hinder the industrial safety footwear segment's growth. Furthermore, stringent quality assessments mandated by regulatory bodies aim to counteract the challenges posed by this disorganized sector.

Personal Protective Equipment Market Segmentation Analysis

By Product Analysis

Hand Protection Segment Captures the Major Share in the Market due to Increasing Workers Safety Awareness

Based on product, the market is classified into head protection, hearing protection, eye & face protection, protective clothing, protective footwear, respiratory protection, hand protection, fall protection, and others.

The hand protection segment accounts for the major share of the market. The rising awareness regarding workers’ safety in mining, construction, equipment manufacturing, and chemical industries will bolster industrial safety gloves. The growing demand for safety gloves is likely to boost the hand protection segment. Workplace activities involve handling sharp-edge materials such as metal, abrasion, and glass materials, which may augment product adoption. Safety gloves play a crucial role in safeguarding workers from chemical burns and metal cuts. In addition, most safety gloves manufacturing companies are forming strategies, including acquisitions to enhance their product portfolio and boost business expansions.

In February 2020, Ansell Limited acquired Ringers Gloves, a specialty glove provider 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.

By End-use Industry Analysis

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Manufacturing Industry is Likely to Account for Major Market Share Due to Rising Demand for Protective Gloves and Safety Shoes

By end-use industry, the market is divided into manufacturing, construction, automotive, oil & gas, healthcare, chemical, food, transportation, and others.

The manufacturing industry is anticipated to account for a major share during the forecast period, driven by the inherent risks associated with the sector. For instance, in the welding industry, workers must use earmuffs or earplugs to protect themselves against noise. In addition, they must wear protective gloves and safety shoes to protect against electric shocks, heat burns, and fires. In addition, protective respirators are used to save oneself from oxides and fumes. While welding, one must wear a helmet, flame-resistant protective clothing, goggles, and a hand shield to protect against radiation, hot slags, chemical burns, sparks, and flying particles.

Working in the food & beverage sector requires an uncompromising commitment to quality control and safety. As such, protective clothing is used in the food manufacturing industry, thus reducing the risk of food product contamination. Workers use a wide array of protective clothing, including overalls, suits, jackets, smocks, sleeves, aprons, and hair covers. DuPont recommends protective clothing made from its Tyvek fabric, which prevents contamination from dust particles, bacteria, spores, and parasites carried on regular clothing or the human body.

The healthcare segment is expected to account for a considerable share attributed to the increasing cases of COVID-19 and related risks. Rising cases and growing awareness regarding self-protection are further supporting market growth. Hospitals are isolating patients and suspected persons to ensure the safety of others. The health personnel and frontline workers who are most exposed to the virus use coveralls, masks, and gloves. The substantial increase in the demand for these PPE products for hospitals and clinics is further augmenting the market growth.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Geographically, the market is studied across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

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In terms of revenue, North America accounted for the largest market share in 2023. The rising number of fatal accidents in the workplace and increasing workers’ and manufacturers’ awareness regarding occupational safety measures will drive regional market growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 5,250 workers died from work-related injuries in 2019. In addition, the increasing government expenditure in the medical and healthcare sectors will further drive the market during the upcoming years.

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Europe is expected to be the second dominant region in this market due to a rise in government investments in renewable energy sources. Supportive government regulation, such as the EU Directive 2016/425 on personal protective equipment ensuring quality standards for safety equipment sold in the European market, will fuel the regional market growth. Increasing safety gloves demand in the food & beverage industry is expected to drive the regional market growth further.       

Asia Pacific is expected to grow significantly during the forecast timeframe. The rising infrastructure spending supported by rapid industrialization, mainly in India, Vietnam, and China, has led to the expansion of manufacturing industries in this region. The construction and building industry may witness an uptrend on account of government policy implementations regarding smart and energy-efficient building technologies.

Latin America and the Middle East & Africa have also witnessed an increase in the number of people affected with coronavirus. This surge has eventually led to high demand for products in the region. Brazil, with a large number of personal protective equipment manufacturers and technological advancement compared to other Latin American countries, is primarily boosting the regional market. Cities such as Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi are known for tourism and are hotspots for the spread of diseases, namely SARS and COVID-19. The high demand from these regions is expected to boost market size. Additionally, initiatives taken by the regional government to fight against the pandemic are likely to foster market growth.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Key Players are Focusing on New Product Launch and Capacity Expansion to Strengthen Market Position

Major players operating in the industry are adopting strategies such as partnerships, new product launches & developments, mergers, acquisitions, and agreements to enhance their personal protective equipment (PPE) market share and presence. In April 2021, Medicom announced that it was 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 April 2021, IREMA Ireland announced to boost the production of virus-blocking 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 highly fragmented in nature, with the presence of several local and regional players. Companies are offering customized products with face protection glasses, night lamp holders, and sensors to ensure workers’ safety. Most manufacturers invest in product and technology innovations to gain core competency within domestic and international markets.

List of Top PPE Companies:

• 3M (U.S.)


• Ansell Ltd. (Australia)


• Alpha ProTech (Canada)


• DuPont (U.S.)


• Avon Rubber p.l.c. (U.K.)


• Mallcom (India) Limited (India)


• Bullard (U.S.)


• Delta Plus Group (France)


• Supermax Corporation Berhad (Malaysia)


• MSA Safety (U.S.)


• Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.)


• Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. (U.S.)


• Uvex Group (Germany)


• COFRA S.r.l. (Italy)


• Lakeland Inc. (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• March 2023: Ansell opened its Greenfield Manufacturing Plant in India, investing USD 80 million in the plant. The new facility aims at providing the most innovative and highest quality surgical gloves to healthcare professionals across the country.


• April 2022: Honeywell acquired Norcross Safety Products L.L.C., a manufacturer of PPE, for USD 1.2 billion. This acquisition would provide the company with a platform in the fragmented global business projected to provide significant growth opportunities. This investment in Norcross allows the company to enter into a highly regulated industrial safety market completely.


• March 2022: 3M, MSA Safety and Dentec Safety Specialists redesigned reusable industrial face masks to protect healthcare workers better and help prevent mask shortages. These elastomeric respirators have gained NIOSH approval, as they are redesigned by either removing the exhalation valve or fitting it with a new filter and valve to trap the virus inside.


• January 2022: MSA Safety Incorporated acquired England-based Bristol Uniforms for USD 60 million. This acquisition would strengthen MSA Safety’s hold in fire service and PPE, expanding the business in the U.K. and key European markets.


• April 2021: Mallcom (India) Limited launched a PPE overall and shoe cover that would be an addition to the product range of disposable recyclable face masks for the medical industry. The overall set will be available in 2 variations along with the shoe cover.


• January 2021: After securing a pair of contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense worth over USD 200 million, 3M tripled its monthly domestic production of N95 masks. It has expanded the domestic production of N95 face masks to 35 million annually. The two DOD contracts, one worth USD 76 million and the other worth USD 126 million, allowed the company to increase its production by 39 million units. 3M's new contributions would raise the amount by another 22 million.

REPORT COVERAGE

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The research report provides a detailed analysis of the industry and focuses on crucial aspects such as leading companies and products. In addition, it offers insights into market trends and highlights vital industry developments. In addition to the factors mentioned above, the report encompasses various factors that have contributed to the market's growth in recent years. It includes historical data, forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and analyzes the industry's latest market dynamics and opportunities.

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