Personal Protective Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Respiratory Protection, Hand Protection), By End-use (Healthcare, Manufacturing), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The global personal protective equipment market size was valued at USD 59.1 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% from 2020 to 2027. Favorable occupational safety regulations, coupled with the increasing importance of safety & security at workplaces, are anticipated to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Occupational safety regulations play a crucial role in driving the market. Mandated policies by agencies for companies to maintain worker safety across various industries are anticipated to drive the product demand over the coming years. These regulations mention the type of personal protective equipment (PPE) required for protection during different industrial or commercial processes.

The U.S. led the North America regional market in 2019 on account of stringent regulatory scenario and growing employee awareness regarding personal safety. Increasing onshore & offshore drilling activities coupled with rising shale gas production in the country is likely to spur product demand to protect employees from workplace hazards.

Rising concerns regarding employee safety & health, coupled with technological advancements, are expected to provide high growth opportunities for market participants over the forecast period. In addition, the growing demand for sustainable raw materials for PPE manufacturing, along with product innovation, is expected to have a positive impact on market expansion over the projected period.

The rising number of manufacturing and construction projects in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East markets is projected to increase the PPE demand. Moreover, economic growth in Asian markets has elevated the need for better public infrastructure, which will also support market growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment, most notably in the healthcare industry, which has further resulted in their shortages. Thus, to cater to the rising demand, manufacturers including 3M, DuPont, and Honeywell International Inc., have ramped up their production capacities, which is likely to benefit the market growth.

Product Insights

The hand protection segment led the market and accounted for 28.9% of the global revenue share in 2019. Hand protection or protective gloves are required to protect employees against hand injuries that are common across industries including construction, food processing, oil & gas, and metal fabrication. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the demand for disposable gloves, especially in the healthcare industry.

The respiratory protection segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR of 16.9% from 2020 to 2027. The respiratory protective equipment protects individuals against hazardous gases & vapors, radiological particles, particulates, chemical agents, and biological contaminants. FFP respirators protect against toxic and non-fibrogenic dust particles and are used majorly in the metalworking, welding, and general manufacturing industries.

Protective footwear offers protection against foot injuries caused by chainsaws, electrical conductivity, electric shock, sole puncture, metatarsal impact, static discharge, and toe impact in workplaces. In addition, the product provides protection against electrical & anti-static hazards, exposure to thermal factors, such as hot and cold as well as molten metals, contact with biological and chemical agents, and slippery & wet surfaces.

Hearing protection is used to reduce overall noise levels and provide protection against the risk of deafening from high noise levels. Construction sites affect the hearing capability of workers owing to high noise levels. Thus, the rapid expansion of the construction and manufacturing industries in emerging economies is expected to drive the hearing protection segment over the forecast period.

End-use Insights

The manufacturing segment led the PPE market and accounted for 17.4% of the global revenue share in 2019. PPE used in the manufacturing industry includes gloves, protective clothing, safety helmets, masks, protective footwear, ear protection, and protective goggles. The rising workforce in the manufacturing industry, especially in the Asia Pacific region, is likely to trigger the product demand to safeguard employees and avoid overhead costs, such as compensations.

Workers in the oil & gas industry are prone to hazards that include falls, explosion & fires, vehicle collisions, and machine hazards. Moreover, chemicals and oil & gas products can be corrosive, flammable, and irritating, owing to which, the usage of PPE on sites becomes mandatory. PPE used across such sites includes hearing protection, eye protection, hand & foot protection, and Flame-Resistant Clothing (FRC).

The healthcare segment is estimated to progress at the fastest CAGR of 21.3% from 2020 to 2027 on account of the rising demand for respiratory protection, protective clothing, and hand protection to ensure employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the growing adoption of gloves to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection through surface contact is anticipated to boost the PPE market growth.

In the chemical sector, PPE is considered crucial when it comes to protecting personnel involved in hazardous activities. PPE has a major risk of being over-specified, under-specified, and wrongly-specified leading to unnecessary risks to the personnel, making the chemical protective equipment selection a complex task. Proper selection and use of suitable PPE aid in hazard prevention, such as preventing injuries or burns to skin, face, hand, and body.

Regional Insights

Europe led the market and accounted for 33.6% of the global revenue share in 2019 on account of increasing demand for high-utility protective equipment across several core industries, such as metal manufacturing, oil & gas, automotive, and refining. An increasing number of industrial fatalities in emerging economies of Asia Pacific region due to the lack of awareness regarding employee safety and appropriate protective gear is anticipated to propel market growth. In addition, technological innovation, rising awareness, and changing consumer preference for protective equipment that is a combination of safety and fashion are likely to augment market growth over the coming years.

North America is likely to progress at an estimated CAGR of 9.8% over the forecast period. Rapidly growing end-use industries including oil & gas, healthcare, chemicals, and manufacturing, are anticipated to augment product demand. Stringent norms by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are enforcing employers in the region to use PPE to ensure employee safety. India is one of the majorly affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of cases is increasing daily, which has further augmented the demand for PPE from frontline healthcare workers. Moreover, the Indian government has ramped up the production of PPE kits to meet the growing demand.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Market participants are investing in R&D for developing advanced technology-based products. Moreover, companies are focusing on operating across the value chain to gain a competitive advantage in the market. Strategies adopted by the major companies usually include product developments and portfolio expansion, distribution network expansion, and partnerships.

Key players in the market have also adopted sustainable solutions, including taking into consideration the social and environmental impacts of their operations, to ease the availability of raw materials, and reap long-term benefits. Some prominent players in the global personal protective equipment market include:

• Honeywell International, Inc.

• Lakeland Industries, Inc.

• DuPont

• 3M

• Alpha Pro Tech Ltd.

• Ansell Ltd.

• Avon Rubber plc

• COFRA S.r.l.

• Oftenrich Holdings Company Ltd.

• Uvex Safety Group

• Rock Fall (U.K.) Ltd.

• BartelsRieger Atemschutztechnik GmbH

• Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) Company

• Lindstrom Group

• Radians, Inc.

• Polison Corp.

• Cigweld Pty. Ltd.

• Gateway Safety, Inc.

• Delta Plus Group

Personal Protective Equipment Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global personal protective equipment market report on the basis of product, end-use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Head, Eye, and Face Protection

  • Hearing Protection

  • Protective Clothing

    • Heat & flame protection

    • Chemical defending

    • Cleanroom clothing

    • Mechanical protective clothing

    • Limited general use

    • Others

  • Respiratory Protection

    • Air-purifying respirators

    • Supplied air respirators

  • Protective Footwear

    • Leather

    • Rubber

    • PVC

    • Polyurethane

    • Others

  • Fall Protection

  • Hand Protection

    • Disposable gloves

      • By Type

      • General purpose

      • Chemical handling

      • Sterile gloves

      • Surgical

      • Others

      • By Material

      • Natural rubber

      • Nitrile

      • Neoprene

      • Vinyl

      • Others

    • Durable Gloves

      • Mechanical gloves

      • Chemical handling

      • Thermal/flame retardant

      • Others

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Construction

  • Manufacturing

  • Oil & Gas

  • Chemicals

  • Food

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Healthcare

  • Transportation

  • Mining

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • U.K.

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Russia

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

    • Indonesia

    • Australia

    • Thailand

    • Malaysia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

  • Africa

    • South Africa