Personal Protective Equipment
Content
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Industry
Introduction : Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to the respiratory equipment, garments, and barrier materials used to protect rescuers and medical personnel from exposure to biological, chemical, and radioactive hazards.
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The goal of personal protective equipment is to prevent the transfer of hazardous material from victims or the environment to rescue or health care workers. Different types of PPE may be used depending on the hazard present. The types of hazards addressed here include biological warfare agents (BWAs), chemical warfare agents (CWAs), and radioactive agents. The most common routes of exposure to these hazards include inhalation (breathing, from the air), skin contact, and ingestion (eating or drinking).
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The use of personal protective equipment by the general public for protection against chemical and biological agents is controversial. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) does not recommend that the public purchase respiratory protective equipment (gas masks) for several reasons.
•
The likelihood that any person will be involved in a chemical or biological attack is extremely low. The CDC believes that gas masks may cause a false sense of security for the public. Masks that aren’t used properly or that do not fit well do not provide adequate protection and may in fact be harmful to one's health.
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•
What is PPE? Personal protective equipment is designed to protect you from health and safety hazards that cannot practically be removed from your work area. Personal protective equipment protects many parts of your body including eyes, face, head, hands, feet, and ears. Head Protection Hard hats protect you from impact and penetration caused by objects hitting your head. They also give you limited protection from electrical shock or burns. Eye Protection You must always wear proper eye protection if you work with: molten metals, liquid chemicals, hazardous gases, or flying particles.
Hearing Protection Hearing protection consists of earplugs and earmuffs. Wear hearing protection when: The sounds in your work area are irritating. You need to raise your voice to be heard by someone closer than two feet away. • Sound levels reach 85 decibels or higher for an 8-hour time period. • There are short bursts of sound that can cause hearing damage.
• •
Hand Protection You must wear gloves for protection against severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes. Foot Protection Foot protection is important to prevent injuries in case a heavy or sharp object falls on your foot or you step on an object that could pierce your shoe. Product groups There are the following product groups: • Workwear (including traditional workwear and protective clothing, but excluding uniforms • Protective gloves (excluding plastic gloves) • Safety footwear (limited to products incorporating a protective metal toe cap) • Safety headgear (helmets) • Protective glasses • Breathing appliances (air purification) • Fall protection • Life jackets Major Players And Market Shares :(Market Size) The market for PPE, covering the product groups under review in this survey, in the EU is estimated to have been € 10.3 billion in 2007. The market grew 2.1% annually in terms of value in the period 2003-2007. Germany remained the most important market for PPE in the EU, despite the slowly increasing expenditure, with its market share of 20.5%, followed by the UK, France, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands. . Companies like Bardusch, Berendsen, Elis, Rentokil Initial and Rentex/Fortex operate in many European countries and have taken over many nationally or regionally operating companies. The website http://industrialrent.com gives you a detailed list of addresses of textiles, workwear lease companies in several countries and in several languages.
About 43% of the PPE market in the EU concerned workwear (traditional workwear and protective clothing) in the period under review. The market for traditional workwear decreased in favour of more specialist protective (CE-marked) clothing. Caused by intensive price competition, the market for other major product groups like protective footwear and protective gloves increased more in volume than in value. Expenditure on other PPE products increased in terms of value. Employers in the ten EU countries which entered the EU in 2004, as well as Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, are obliged by law to provide PPE where it is needed. For that reason, an average annual growth rate of 5.3% was reached by these countries, thereby outpacing the European average. Regarding most of the other EU countries, it can be said that the PPE market was tough in 2005-2007, because of continuous staff reductions and general cost-saving measures by companies and other organizations. Production Total EU production of PPE in 2007, according to Eurostat's Prodcom, amounted to € 2.6 billion, which was 8% lower than in 2003. Italy is the leading producer of workwear in the EU, followed by Spain, Poland and Romania. Italy has also been the leading producer of safety footwear (followed by Germany, France, Finland and Spain) and safety headgear (followed by the UK, Germany, France and Spain) for many years, while France was the leading producer of protective gloves (followed by the UK, Spain, Poland and Germany). Increasing levels of price sensitivity among end-users is forcing market participants to reevaluate their production options. In order to improve their cost competitiveness, several EU manufacturers re-located their production facilities from high-cost economies to lowcost regions, such as the Far East. Finding new sales areas and (vertical) integration are major strategies for PPE companies in the EU. Imports The EU member states imported 686 thousand tons of PPE at a value of € 6.2 billion in 2007, of which 51% came from DCs. During the period 2003-2007, total EU imports increased annually 7.7% in terms of value and 7.2% in terms of volume. The average import price in 2007 was only 1.7% higher in 2007 than in 2003. Germany remained the leading importer in 2007 with an import share of 18% in terms of value, followed by France (15%), UK (13%), Italy (10%), Belgium (7%) and Spain (7%). The Netherlands (6%) ranked seventh, followed by Sweden, Denmark and Austria. The role of DCs increased strongly in the period 2003-2007, the import share of DCs having accounted for 45% in 2003, 49% in 2005 and 51% in 2007. Imports from DCs rose by 47% in the period 2003-2007, intra-EU trade by 18%, while imports from countries outside the EU (excluding DCs) decreased from 7.6% to 6.7% during the same period. The import share of DCs varied strongly per product group: from 2% for
breathing appliances to 67% for protective gloves. Total imports of all product groups increased in absolute terms, of which safety headgear, footwear and life jackets grew more strongly than average. China remained by far the leading supplier of PPE to the EU, before Malaysia, Tunisia, Thailand and India. Total imports from China increased strongly: 30% in the whole period 2005-2007 (against 41% during 2003-2005). In 2005, 19% of total EU imports came from China; in 2007: 21%. The growth of imports from China increased almost 21% annually, during the period 2003-2007. Exports The EU exported 205 thousand tons of PPE with a value of € 4.0 billion in 2007, representing an annual growth of 4.5% in the period 2003-2007. Italy remained the leading EU exporter, mainly caused by its exports of protective footwear and safety headgear. Export activities by the EU countries vary strongly per product group.
Probable Customers
About 170 million people in the EU wear corporate clothing and/or use other PPE products. Total (average) expenditure per employee in western Europe varied from € 45 for users of traditional workwear to € 600 for users of one or more PPE products. Expenditure per employee in some East European countries was even lower. Purchasing needs and buying patterns tend to vary from region to region. Key geographic trends indicate that companies in the southern European countries spend considerably less per employee on PPE than those in northern Europe, although countries such as Italy and Spain have been catching up. Notably, companies in Scandinavia and the UK have the highest PPE expenditure per employee, followed by Germany and France. Experts estimated that 10% of employees in the EU wear rental or leased corporate clothing. Demand for PPE is determined and influenced (among other factors) by: • • Number of employees and their (professional) activities; Legislation, like the law on health and safety in the working place (EU-PPE legislation). Governmental and EU measures have resulted in an increasing consciousness regarding safety in working circumstances and concern a broad range of protective products besides clothing, i.e. also other safety products, from helmet to safety shoe;
• Awareness by individual corporations of the need to protect employees is also influenced by the size of the corporation; • Personal acceptance by employees of the use of PPE; • Investments often derived from (expected) economic developments; • Increasing instances of terror attacks and epidemics have resulted in a generally higher level of awareness regarding PPE; • Fashion influences;
• Influence from competitive products, for instance the market share of competitive products like disposable clothing (if CE certified to the latest EN standards it can also protect wearers from hazardous substances, both chemical and particulate) compared to clothing made of textiles.
Different Distribution Modes
The structure of the PPE business is a complicated one. Most of the manufacturers have their own specialisation in the categories mentioned. In general, manufacturers do not undertake direct selling operations to end-users, except for the largest international companies, which often operate on the basis of contracts concerning large quantities. Many (larger groups) companies, however, have extended their assortment through the acquisition of specialists in other products or they purchase products to complement their own assortment. The PPE market can be characterised further as a large network of distributors on several regional levels per country. In general, distributors may also deal in imported goods. Companies in low-labour-cost countries and national distributors are increasingly threatening the European-based companies. Distributors are sourcing ownlabel products from foreign contract manufacturers and selling them at lower cost than the traditional branded products These products are often simply copies of innovative branded products launched earlier. Available channels on the PPE market in EU countries are: Manufacturers: • Domestic manufacturing companies (often with production activities abroad) are mainly specialised in one specific product group operating on the domestic market and often in combination with exporting; • Manufacturers complement their range by offering goods from other sources, including imports; • Global or internationally operating manufacturing companies (based in USA, Australia etc.) with headquarters in Europe; • Manufacturing companies from abroad with manufacturing and/or commercial interests in a specific EU country; • Selling agents or selling offices for foreign manufacturers. Importing intermediaries: • Importers: these companies import large volumes of one specific product group (mostly from the Far East) and usually sell to other resellers, rather than direct to endusers; • National PPE distributors or wholesalers offering a PPE assortment from other sources. This can be branded products of major manufacturers and/or private labels sourced
from contract manufacturers; • Other channels, like DIY chains, cash & carry companies (Makro/Metro etc.) or general wholesalers. Non-importing intermediaries: • Non-importing wholesalers, mostly specialised in a broad PPE range with a general character or specialised in a specific branch or specific activities; • Retailers, mostly specialised in workwear who sell to both consumers and professional users in small units; • Other channels, like specialised retailers, DIY outlets, street markets etc.
Importing end-users: • • Workwear rental/lease laundry companies, in some cases offering a PPE assortment; Large industrial and governmental organizations.
Manufacturers as well as wholesalers operate more and more via direct-mail activities (catalogues and via Internet). Trends • Indirect buying from distributors or wholesalers and direct buying (by negotiation or through catalogues) from the manufacturer are the most important distribution channels for PPE in the EU, followed by rental or lease. It is believed that catalogue business including e-commerce (by manufacturer as well as by wholesaler), will become the major growth areas throughout most of the European PPE markets. The market share of distributors/wholesalers and tender is predicted to increase, meanwhile, direct sales from manufacturers, rental/leasing and retail and other channels are expected to stay flat. • There is an increase in concentration of rental/lease companies in the EU, just as there is in the PPE sector. Companies like Bardusch, Berendsen, Elis, Rentokil Initial and Rentex/Fortex operate in many European countries and have taken over many nationally or regionally operating companies. The website http://industrialrent.com gives you a detailed list of addresses of textiles, workwear lease companies in several countries and in several languages. • Traditional workwear is partly rented or leased for employees in the medical, hospitality (hotel/restaurant) and manufacturing sectors. Most of the products in this sector are made of 67/33 polyester/cotton. In most types of industries, one person will use about three to four sets (a set can consist of several units) of workwear per year.
As mentioned above, exporters of PPE are confronted with many aspects like quality standards (CE marking!), product liability, sizing, packaging and environmental aspects. These result in a lot of technical requirements, added to which are aspects of design, fashion, comfort, ergonomics and market developments etc. For that reason, co-operation in a variety of forms between importer and exporter can be necessary, of which the more far-reaching forms of potential co-operation are joint ventures and co-makership agreements.
Introduction : Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to the respiratory equipment, garments, and barrier materials used to protect rescuers and medical personnel from exposure to biological, chemical, and radioactive hazards.
•
The goal of personal protective equipment is to prevent the transfer of hazardous material from victims or the environment to rescue or health care workers. Different types of PPE may be used depending on the hazard present. The types of hazards addressed here include biological warfare agents (BWAs), chemical warfare agents (CWAs), and radioactive agents. The most common routes of exposure to these hazards include inhalation (breathing, from the air), skin contact, and ingestion (eating or drinking).
•
•
The use of personal protective equipment by the general public for protection against chemical and biological agents is controversial. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) does not recommend that the public purchase respiratory protective equipment (gas masks) for several reasons.
•
The likelihood that any person will be involved in a chemical or biological attack is extremely low. The CDC believes that gas masks may cause a false sense of security for the public. Masks that aren’t used properly or that do not fit well do not provide adequate protection and may in fact be harmful to one's health.
•
•
What is PPE? Personal protective equipment is designed to protect you from health and safety hazards that cannot practically be removed from your work area. Personal protective equipment protects many parts of your body including eyes, face, head, hands, feet, and ears. Head Protection Hard hats protect you from impact and penetration caused by objects hitting your head. They also give you limited protection from electrical shock or burns. Eye Protection You must always wear proper eye protection if you work with: molten metals, liquid chemicals, hazardous gases, or flying particles.
Hearing Protection Hearing protection consists of earplugs and earmuffs. Wear hearing protection when: The sounds in your work area are irritating. You need to raise your voice to be heard by someone closer than two feet away. • Sound levels reach 85 decibels or higher for an 8-hour time period. • There are short bursts of sound that can cause hearing damage.
• •
Hand Protection You must wear gloves for protection against severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes. Foot Protection Foot protection is important to prevent injuries in case a heavy or sharp object falls on your foot or you step on an object that could pierce your shoe. Product groups There are the following product groups: • Workwear (including traditional workwear and protective clothing, but excluding uniforms • Protective gloves (excluding plastic gloves) • Safety footwear (limited to products incorporating a protective metal toe cap) • Safety headgear (helmets) • Protective glasses • Breathing appliances (air purification) • Fall protection • Life jackets Major Players And Market Shares :(Market Size) The market for PPE, covering the product groups under review in this survey, in the EU is estimated to have been € 10.3 billion in 2007. The market grew 2.1% annually in terms of value in the period 2003-2007. Germany remained the most important market for PPE in the EU, despite the slowly increasing expenditure, with its market share of 20.5%, followed by the UK, France, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands. . Companies like Bardusch, Berendsen, Elis, Rentokil Initial and Rentex/Fortex operate in many European countries and have taken over many nationally or regionally operating companies. The website http://industrialrent.com gives you a detailed list of addresses of textiles, workwear lease companies in several countries and in several languages.
About 43% of the PPE market in the EU concerned workwear (traditional workwear and protective clothing) in the period under review. The market for traditional workwear decreased in favour of more specialist protective (CE-marked) clothing. Caused by intensive price competition, the market for other major product groups like protective footwear and protective gloves increased more in volume than in value. Expenditure on other PPE products increased in terms of value. Employers in the ten EU countries which entered the EU in 2004, as well as Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, are obliged by law to provide PPE where it is needed. For that reason, an average annual growth rate of 5.3% was reached by these countries, thereby outpacing the European average. Regarding most of the other EU countries, it can be said that the PPE market was tough in 2005-2007, because of continuous staff reductions and general cost-saving measures by companies and other organizations. Production Total EU production of PPE in 2007, according to Eurostat's Prodcom, amounted to € 2.6 billion, which was 8% lower than in 2003. Italy is the leading producer of workwear in the EU, followed by Spain, Poland and Romania. Italy has also been the leading producer of safety footwear (followed by Germany, France, Finland and Spain) and safety headgear (followed by the UK, Germany, France and Spain) for many years, while France was the leading producer of protective gloves (followed by the UK, Spain, Poland and Germany). Increasing levels of price sensitivity among end-users is forcing market participants to reevaluate their production options. In order to improve their cost competitiveness, several EU manufacturers re-located their production facilities from high-cost economies to lowcost regions, such as the Far East. Finding new sales areas and (vertical) integration are major strategies for PPE companies in the EU. Imports The EU member states imported 686 thousand tons of PPE at a value of € 6.2 billion in 2007, of which 51% came from DCs. During the period 2003-2007, total EU imports increased annually 7.7% in terms of value and 7.2% in terms of volume. The average import price in 2007 was only 1.7% higher in 2007 than in 2003. Germany remained the leading importer in 2007 with an import share of 18% in terms of value, followed by France (15%), UK (13%), Italy (10%), Belgium (7%) and Spain (7%). The Netherlands (6%) ranked seventh, followed by Sweden, Denmark and Austria. The role of DCs increased strongly in the period 2003-2007, the import share of DCs having accounted for 45% in 2003, 49% in 2005 and 51% in 2007. Imports from DCs rose by 47% in the period 2003-2007, intra-EU trade by 18%, while imports from countries outside the EU (excluding DCs) decreased from 7.6% to 6.7% during the same period. The import share of DCs varied strongly per product group: from 2% for
breathing appliances to 67% for protective gloves. Total imports of all product groups increased in absolute terms, of which safety headgear, footwear and life jackets grew more strongly than average. China remained by far the leading supplier of PPE to the EU, before Malaysia, Tunisia, Thailand and India. Total imports from China increased strongly: 30% in the whole period 2005-2007 (against 41% during 2003-2005). In 2005, 19% of total EU imports came from China; in 2007: 21%. The growth of imports from China increased almost 21% annually, during the period 2003-2007. Exports The EU exported 205 thousand tons of PPE with a value of € 4.0 billion in 2007, representing an annual growth of 4.5% in the period 2003-2007. Italy remained the leading EU exporter, mainly caused by its exports of protective footwear and safety headgear. Export activities by the EU countries vary strongly per product group.
Probable Customers
About 170 million people in the EU wear corporate clothing and/or use other PPE products. Total (average) expenditure per employee in western Europe varied from € 45 for users of traditional workwear to € 600 for users of one or more PPE products. Expenditure per employee in some East European countries was even lower. Purchasing needs and buying patterns tend to vary from region to region. Key geographic trends indicate that companies in the southern European countries spend considerably less per employee on PPE than those in northern Europe, although countries such as Italy and Spain have been catching up. Notably, companies in Scandinavia and the UK have the highest PPE expenditure per employee, followed by Germany and France. Experts estimated that 10% of employees in the EU wear rental or leased corporate clothing. Demand for PPE is determined and influenced (among other factors) by: • • Number of employees and their (professional) activities; Legislation, like the law on health and safety in the working place (EU-PPE legislation). Governmental and EU measures have resulted in an increasing consciousness regarding safety in working circumstances and concern a broad range of protective products besides clothing, i.e. also other safety products, from helmet to safety shoe;
• Awareness by individual corporations of the need to protect employees is also influenced by the size of the corporation; • Personal acceptance by employees of the use of PPE; • Investments often derived from (expected) economic developments; • Increasing instances of terror attacks and epidemics have resulted in a generally higher level of awareness regarding PPE; • Fashion influences;
• Influence from competitive products, for instance the market share of competitive products like disposable clothing (if CE certified to the latest EN standards it can also protect wearers from hazardous substances, both chemical and particulate) compared to clothing made of textiles.
Different Distribution Modes
The structure of the PPE business is a complicated one. Most of the manufacturers have their own specialisation in the categories mentioned. In general, manufacturers do not undertake direct selling operations to end-users, except for the largest international companies, which often operate on the basis of contracts concerning large quantities. Many (larger groups) companies, however, have extended their assortment through the acquisition of specialists in other products or they purchase products to complement their own assortment. The PPE market can be characterised further as a large network of distributors on several regional levels per country. In general, distributors may also deal in imported goods. Companies in low-labour-cost countries and national distributors are increasingly threatening the European-based companies. Distributors are sourcing ownlabel products from foreign contract manufacturers and selling them at lower cost than the traditional branded products These products are often simply copies of innovative branded products launched earlier. Available channels on the PPE market in EU countries are: Manufacturers: • Domestic manufacturing companies (often with production activities abroad) are mainly specialised in one specific product group operating on the domestic market and often in combination with exporting; • Manufacturers complement their range by offering goods from other sources, including imports; • Global or internationally operating manufacturing companies (based in USA, Australia etc.) with headquarters in Europe; • Manufacturing companies from abroad with manufacturing and/or commercial interests in a specific EU country; • Selling agents or selling offices for foreign manufacturers. Importing intermediaries: • Importers: these companies import large volumes of one specific product group (mostly from the Far East) and usually sell to other resellers, rather than direct to endusers; • National PPE distributors or wholesalers offering a PPE assortment from other sources. This can be branded products of major manufacturers and/or private labels sourced
from contract manufacturers; • Other channels, like DIY chains, cash & carry companies (Makro/Metro etc.) or general wholesalers. Non-importing intermediaries: • Non-importing wholesalers, mostly specialised in a broad PPE range with a general character or specialised in a specific branch or specific activities; • Retailers, mostly specialised in workwear who sell to both consumers and professional users in small units; • Other channels, like specialised retailers, DIY outlets, street markets etc.
Importing end-users: • • Workwear rental/lease laundry companies, in some cases offering a PPE assortment; Large industrial and governmental organizations.
Manufacturers as well as wholesalers operate more and more via direct-mail activities (catalogues and via Internet). Trends • Indirect buying from distributors or wholesalers and direct buying (by negotiation or through catalogues) from the manufacturer are the most important distribution channels for PPE in the EU, followed by rental or lease. It is believed that catalogue business including e-commerce (by manufacturer as well as by wholesaler), will become the major growth areas throughout most of the European PPE markets. The market share of distributors/wholesalers and tender is predicted to increase, meanwhile, direct sales from manufacturers, rental/leasing and retail and other channels are expected to stay flat. • There is an increase in concentration of rental/lease companies in the EU, just as there is in the PPE sector. Companies like Bardusch, Berendsen, Elis, Rentokil Initial and Rentex/Fortex operate in many European countries and have taken over many nationally or regionally operating companies. The website http://industrialrent.com gives you a detailed list of addresses of textiles, workwear lease companies in several countries and in several languages. • Traditional workwear is partly rented or leased for employees in the medical, hospitality (hotel/restaurant) and manufacturing sectors. Most of the products in this sector are made of 67/33 polyester/cotton. In most types of industries, one person will use about three to four sets (a set can consist of several units) of workwear per year.
As mentioned above, exporters of PPE are confronted with many aspects like quality standards (CE marking!), product liability, sizing, packaging and environmental aspects. These result in a lot of technical requirements, added to which are aspects of design, fashion, comfort, ergonomics and market developments etc. For that reason, co-operation in a variety of forms between importer and exporter can be necessary, of which the more far-reaching forms of potential co-operation are joint ventures and co-makership agreements.
