Safety Eyewear Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Prescription, Non-prescription), By Application (Construction, Industrial Manufacturing), By Region (APAC, North America), And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global safety eyewear market size was valued at USD 3.74 billion in 2021 and is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4% from 2022 to 2030. A major driving factor for the growth of the market is the stringent workplace safety regulations across the globe. Major developed countries, such as the U.S., Canada, Germany, the U.K., and France have implemented workplace safety regulations authorities, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). These organizations aim at protecting the workforce from injuries and loss of life in hazardous work conditions.

Safety regulations have greatly reduced the risk of loss of life in many occupations worldwide by taking legal punitive action against defaulters. Safety standards also extend to devices and equipment used by the workforce on a regular basis, such as clothes, boots, gloves, helmets, and safety eyewear. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a tremendous demand for safe eyewear across the globe due to the growing concerns about virus transmissibility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in May 2022, issued the reasons for the spread of the COVID-19 virus. One of the reasons for the transmission of the virus was touching the eyes, nose, or mouth after coming in contact with an infected surface.

To mitigate the spread of the virus, demand for protective eyewear skyrocketed in the country, especially in the medical sector. Safety eyewear protects human eyes from solid particles, hazardous chemicals & gases, radiation, and other harmful materials. It is designed to protect the workforce from injuries and loss of life in dangerous work conditions. In the U.S., around 700,000 individuals injure their eyes each year, which can be prevented by wearing safety eyewear. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), around 70% of eye injuries are caused due to falling/flying objects or sparks striking the eye.

Physical health problems caused due to smartphone usage include dry eyes, sleep disturbances, pain in the neck, wrist, & back, digital dementia, chronic tiredness, etc. leading to an increased need for safe eyewear. Although there is disability assistance on various devices, such as smart eyewear, in addition to the rising technologies that help in correcting visual impairment, blindness remains a huge risk for people exposed to hazardous work conditions. To safeguard the workforce concerns, many firms with even contractual workforce nowadays provide safety eyewear in addition to other basic safety equipment.

However, the introduction of substandard products from unregulated markets in the Asia Pacific and Central America. A major concern among corporations in procuring safety eyewear for their workforce is their certification. Cheaper substitutes that originate from developing countries in the Asia Pacific and Central America often increase the risk of eye injury in case of an accident. Growing construction and manufacturing projects have increased the blue-collar workforce, particularly in the Asia Pacific and MEA regions. Inclination towards infrastructure development along with rising government spending on construction is expected to provide a lucrative growth opportunity for the industry over the forecast period.

Product Insights

The non-prescription segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 64.6% in 2021. This can be attributed to the fact that the majority of safety eyewear is procured for the labor workforce to prevent debris and hazardous chemicals from damaging the eyes. Non-prescription eyeglasses are mainly for individuals who can no longer read the fine print. In addition, non-prescription sunglasses are regulated as medical devices in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. The segment dominated the industry due to the mass manufacture of safety equipment appropriate for all kinds of workplaces. Prescription safety eyewear is used majorly by engineers, technicians, scientists, academicians, specialists/professionals, artisans, and some sports/adventure enthusiasts.

The demand for corrective lenses by white-collared professionals is expected to increase in the near future. Due to their premium cost, the value of the prescription segment is expected to rise further by the end of the forecast period. In addition, most workers with a prescription for normal vision find it problematic to wear safety glasses over their normal spectacles and therefore, refrain from wearing them. As a result, several key manufacturers are incorporating customization in their product offerings and providing safety goggles/glasses with prescription. This is a key factor expected to drive the prescription safety eyewear segment during the forecast period.

Application Channel Insights

The industrial manufacturing segment held the largest share of 28.5% in 2021. Industrial manufacturing comprises a range of operations, such as processing, assembling, and finishing, which expose workers to dust particles, harmful chemicals, and dangerous light radiations. This is increasing the demand for safety wear in the industrial manufacturing industry. Operations that involve considerable risk of eye injuries in industrial manufacturing include drilling, chiseling, hammering, chipping, sanding, spraying, grinding, smelting, cutting, and welding. Individuals working in the oil & gas industry are well aware of the several dangers they face regularly-from welding sparks to very hot liquids and dropping debris to heavy equipment-a range of potential injury-inflicting hazards are ever-present.       

Chemicals used and produced during various oil & gas processes are flammable, corrosive, carcinogenic, and irritant in nature. Some of the hazardous substances workers are exposed to include hydrogen sulfide gas and crystalline silica. Flash fires are also among the common phenomena in this industry. Construction is an industry that involves high risks of accidents as slight negligence or an equipment malfunction may lead to loss of limbs, blindness, or even death. Around 1,000 eye injuries happen daily in workplaces across the U.S. and construction is one of the most hazardous industries. Construction workers meet almost every eye hazard possible on a regular basis, such as liquid splash from toxic chemicals, flying debris, Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) from overexposure to sunlight, and infrared radiation from torch welding and cutting.

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest revenue share of 31.4% of the global revenue in 2021. The region is mainly driven due to factors, such as the presence of a large number of companies, including Kimberly-Clark Corp., MCR Safety, Pyramex Safety Products LLC, Radians, Inc., and 3M. Furthermore, the presence of a stringent regulatory framework related to occupational safety and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the implementation of strict laws and regulations from federal agencies like the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and other bodies regarding safety codes and norms at workplaces are anticipated to boost the region’s growth.

Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing region over the forecast period. There are three types of eyewear: safety glasses, goggles, and a face shield. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC) recommends that workers wear eye protection glasses during work to avoid the risk of having infections. This can be attributed to the increasing emphasis on occupational safety and health in this region. Asia Pacific accounts for nearly 59% of the global population with increasing consumption by the middle-class population, especially in emerging economies, thus representing huge opportunities for the market players.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The industry is characterized by the presence of a few well-established players, such as Kimberly-Clark Corp., MCR Safety, and Honeywell International Inc.Some of the key developments and strategic initiatives carried out by leading manufacturers are:

• In August 2022, UVEX launched the uvex-i range of safety eyewear that offers protection for workers against a wide variety of workplace hazards. The eyewear features large, flat lenses for an unrestricted field of vision with an extended side shield for additional protection from hazards. Uvex uses renewable raw materials from the castor oil plant and energy from biomass sources to produce this range of eyewear

• In July 2022, Bollé Safety launched a new high-clarity lens called Comfort Sense Perception to protect workers in all conditions. The new technology is available in seventeen different lens tints and in a wide variety of SKUs, which are adaptive to indoor, indoor/outdoor, and outdoor work environments. It offers enhanced sight, visual comfort, and definition. The technology shields eyes while boosting eyesight in all light-sensitive scenarios, including UV, glares, LED, welding gas, and low contrast

• In June 2022, Kimberly-Clark Professional, a global leader in contamination control solutions for laboratories and cleanrooms, expanded ‘The RightCycle Program’. It is a recycling program for non-hazardous labs, industrial PPE waste, and cleanrooms and the flex-film plastic packaging from KleenGuard and Kimtech will be accepted for recycling through the program

• In April 2022, Honeywell announced the acquisition of Norcross Safety Products LLC, a leading manufacturer of PPE for approximately, USD 1.2 billion. The acquisition was aimed to strengthen the company’s safety equipment offerings for industrial protection, fire service, and other worker segments

Some of the prominent players in the global safety eyewear market include:

• Kimberly-Clark Corp.

• MCR Safety

• Honeywell International, Inc.

• UVEX Winter Holding GmbH & Co., KG

• Medop SA

• 3M Company

• Bolle Safety

• Radians, Inc.

• Pyramex Safety Products LLC

• Gateway Safety, Inc.

Safety Eyewear Market Report Scope

Global Safety Eyewear Market Segmentation

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 2017 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global safety eyewear market report on the basis of product, application, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Prescription

  • Non-prescription

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Oil & Gas

  • Construction

  • Mining

  • Industrial Manufacturing

  • Military

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

  • Middle East & Africa