International organizations and governments of several countries have implemented stringent regulations regarding occupational health and safety at workplaces, owing to which the manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, chemical and pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and transportation companies are using personal protective equipment (PPE) in abundance. For instance, the International Labor Organization (ILO) mandates the use of PPE items for workers who are exposed to hazardous substances. The working environment surveillance suggested by the ILO involves the identification and assessment of environmental reasons that might affect the health of the workers, such as the state of PPE equipment.
To adhere to the occupational health and safety standards of the ILO, employers are providing PPE products for hand protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, fall protection, and head, eye, and face protection along with protective clothing. According to the ILO, employers must consult workers or their representatives on suitable PPE items as per the nature of work and type and level of risks attached to the work. Apart from employers, workers should also ensure the proper usage of PPE kits to avoid any damage.
Moreover, the surging cases of COVID-19 cases have been facilitating the personal protective equipment market in the last one-and-a-half years. Coronavirus spread at the speed of lightning, and the only way to break the chain is the use of PPE items, such as surgical masks, examination gloves, gowns, N95 masks, surgical gloves, and face shields, by patients, frontline workers, and healthy people across the world. As there is no cure for this virus yet, people need to be cautious and use masks before stepping out of their house and while providing care to COVID patients.
With the rapid spread of coronavirus, PPE manufacturers, such as 3M Company, Uvex Safety Group, Alpha Pro Tech Limited, Honeywell, Rock Fall Limited, Ansell Ltd., JAL Group Italia SRL, Avon Rubber PLC, and JAL Group Italia SRL, are focusing on ramping up the production of PPE kits, surgical masks, surgical gloves, gowns, and examination gloves, for the medical fraternity and basic PPE items, such as masks, for civilians, to contain the spread of this virus. Additionally, the resurgence in the growth of the manufacturing sector is fueling the production of protective clothing, as this industry has high chances of fatalities.
According to these CFRs, employers are liable to protect their employees from workplace hazards. Non-adherence to such regulations will attract hefty penalties for employers. Moreover, the surging incidence of COVID-19 and the increasing number of coronavirus variants will create a huge requirement for PPE products in the forthcoming years.
Furthermore, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) personal protective equipment market is expected to witness considerable growth in the foreseeable future owing to the upcoming third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in countries such as India and expanding manufacturing sector in India, China, and Japan. The ongoing pandemic has severely affected the region in the last two years, and it is being projected that novel variants, such as Delta+, will affect more people in the coming years. For instance, the second wave of COVID-19 in India impacted millions of people. and the Delta variant will impact more people in the upcoming months, if precautions are not taken.
Thus, the growing incidence of COVID-19 and expanding manufacturing sector will accelerate the adoption of PPE products in the forthcoming years.
