Industry Searches - 16th March 06 - Dhj

Leaders in safety laws shock. Birmingham Evening Mail (England); 5/25/2001 Byline: Jon Griffin AROUND two-thirds of West Midland business leaders are unaware of health and safety regulations affecting their company, a new report reveals. A survey, commissioned by weartical.com, an online provider of workwear and personal protective equipment, reveals widespread discontent at the Government over its responsibility for the UK's health and safety record. The report revealed that an overwhelming 92 per cent of business leaders in the region claimed their employees complied with health and safety regulations. But by contrast, nearly 65 per cent of business bosses were personally unaware of the safety regulations affecting their company. Meanwhile, a 56 per cent majority of respondents said they were reluctant to invest more money in improving health and safety measures. Olav Roeyset, chief executive officer of weartical.com, said: 'The West Midlands is split into the blue-chip companies that invest to ensure that they comply to health and safety regulations, and the smaller operators that tend to be more lax.' 'The big corporations in the West Midlands and the general EU businesses examine the overall safety and invest for long-term savings. 'The smaller end of the region's businesses often provide a more short-term knee-jerk reaction, which is often the least time-consuming and cost-cutting route they can find, but not necessarily the most cost-efficient and safest.'

Innovation and Expansion the New Mantra for Personal Protection Equipment Markets, Says Frost & Sullivan. PR Newswire; 8/14/2002 SAN JOSE, Calif. -- To meet the challenges posed by the increasing automation of production processes, manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) strive to create better designs and innovative offerings. Complete product lines for niche markets and one-stop shops from large PPE producers are the order of the day. There is a sustained demand for PPE because of continuous education and awareness among end users. Trends suggest that improved comfort level of equipment and fashion consciousness among buyers has led to increased replacement sales.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.environment.frost.com/ ), U.S. Personal Protection Equipment Markets, reveals that this industry generated revenues totaling $1.23 billion in 2001. Total market revenues are estimated to be $1.52 billion in 2008. "The mature personal protection equipment market provides unique challenges," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Matthias Kubr. The market is highly price sensitive and end users often choose less expensive products. Recent strategies by participants to retain and further market share include offering bundled sales, that is, "head-to-toe" protection packages. In their quest to compete in the market, PPE manufacturers are constantly innovating. For instance, in the self-contained breathing apparatus sector, additions to firefighting equipment include global positioning systems, communication devices, and monitors. Alliances and acquisitions could also provide access to new markets. "The merger of Bacou Dalloz last year created a true super power in the PPE industry," says Kubr. "The company is now a top market shareholder offering a unique one-stop shopping facility to its end users." Frost & Sullivan is a global leader in strategic market consulting and training. This ongoing research also includes market analyses on U.S. Gas Detection Markets and European Workwear Markets. Frost & Sullivan also offers custom consulting to a variety of national and international companies. Executive summaries and interviews are available to the press. Review of European directives on personal protective equipment and workplace safety.

M2 PRESSWIRE-19 March 2003-

UK Government: Review of European directives on personal protective equipment and workplace safety(C)1994-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD RDATE:03192003 The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is seeking employers and workers views on the European Commission (EC) directives on workplace health, safety and welfare and on personal protective equipment.

The HSE review will evaluate the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 to ensure that the regulations are cost effective, meet the needs of business whilst ensuring they protect the health and safety of employees, and fulfil our commitment to implement the EC Workplace Directive (89/654/EEC) and the EC Directive on Personal Protective Equipment (89/656/EEC). As part of this evaluation HSE is asking employers and safety representatives for their views on a questionnaire which can be downloaded from the HSE website. Dr William Gillan, HSE Head of General and Technical Safety Policy, said "HSE needs to take account of stakeholders' views in judging how effective we have been in implementing the directives. We are keen to hear views from people who have responsibilities for health and safety in the workplace (in both small and large firms) including safety representatives. An easy to complete questionnaire covering both sets of regulations has been produced. This will help us to find out, for example, how well the regulations are known and understood". HSE is required by the EC to produce its second five-year report on the implementation of Directive 89/656/EEC, which was implemented in the UK in part through the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992; and Directive 89/654/EEC, which was implemented through the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The questionnaire is available to download from the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/spd/pdf/question.pdf. Those who would like a hard copy should contact either Colin Dunn (Tel 0207 717 6623) or Ruth Ludbrook (Tel 0207 717 6963). The deadline for returning the questionnaire is Friday 30 May. Notes For Editors 1. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 deal with the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as a means of controlling risks at work. PPE includes protective clothing such as safety footwear, helmets and high visibility clothing and protective equipment such as life jackets, respirators and safety harnesses. The regulations require the provision of PPE and its maintenance, storage and information, instruction and training to be provided with its use. The regulations should not be confused with Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002, which requires that PPE manufactured and supplied should be CE marked. 2. The purpose of the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 was to ensure not only a safe working environment, but also the provision of sanitary and welfare facilities. The Regulations apply to the majority of workplaces with few exceptions, and cover a diverse range of issues including ventilation, temperature, traffic routes, falls, lighting and cleanliness. CONTACT: HSE InfoLineTel: +44 (0)8701 545500WWW: http://www.hse.gov.uk

Low Awareness and Education Levels Restrict Fall Protection Market; Companies Must Invest in End-User Education to Increase Product Acceptance. PR Newswire; 2/2/2005 LONDON, February 2 /PRNewswire/ -- While it is clear that the fall protection equipment market in Europe - which forms part of the personal protection equipment (PPE) market - holds substantial growth potential, it faces several challenges that threaten to restrict its expansion. One of the most critical of these is the lack of sufficient end-user awareness and education. Historically, many end-user industries have remained largely unaware of the need to use fall protection equipment or have shied away from using it, daunted perhaps by its technology or high costs. According to latest analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://chemicals.frost.com/), this is gradually changing as end users increasingly realise the importance of such equipment in maintaining high safety standards and averting potential accidents at the work site. In particular, some end-user sectors such as the construction industry have a strong need for improved safety standards. Identifying and targeting these segments through focused awareness campaigns is likely to offer greater market potential. "Education and training are crucial in the fall protection equipment market," remarks Frost & Sullivan's Programme Manager, Dr. Brian Balmer. "Successful products are those that focus on education to appeal to technology-averse end users. In addition, due to the extremely technical nature of some of the equipment, training is essential to ensure that it is used properly." The telecommunications industry is currently the largest single user of fall protection equipment, and has a relatively high awareness of worker safety. Although there is still the potential for growth here, even more is expected from other areas such as the construction industry and general site work. As the largest industrial employer in Europe with annual revenues exceeding EUR 900 billion and employing around 26 million workers in the European Union (EU), the construction industry is known for its low level of compliance to legislation regarding safety at height across Europe. However, encouraging growth rates of approximately 0.8 per cent in 2004 combined with increasing conformity with legislations and rising awareness are expected to drive sales of fall protection equipment in this industry.

The demand for fall protection equipment is also expected to increase in end-user applications such as utilities, transportation and the manufacturing industry, as more restrictive regulations are adopted, especially in Southern Europe. As part of the PPE market, fall protection is governed by the PPE directive 89/656/EEC, which stipulates that employees working in an otherwise unprotected area with a possible fall distance in excess of two metres must wear fall arrest equipment. "As legislations become more rigorously enforced across Europe, the number of workers that fall under the directive's conditions will increase, driving market growth," notes Dr. Balmer. "In addition to the increasing number of wearers, legislative trends can also accelerate product replacement rates, further boosting market growth." Accordingly, the European fall protection market is forecast to grow from EUR 190.0 million in 2003 to EUR 248.9 million in 2010, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9 per cent. This growth is expected to extend to new end-user segments as well as the more established ones such as telecommunications. Growth also varies significantly from region to region, with some countries - such as the United Kingdom - being far more proactive in implementing legislations than others, such as Italy. Independent of legislation, end users themselves are beginning to understand the financial benefits of purchasing fall protection equipment. In a promising development, these products are now being perceived as an investment that insures against both human and financial costs to the company. However, European manufacturers will have to guard against the threat posed by lowpriced imports from the Far East. In order to prevent end users from moving to less expensive products, manufacturers will have to make strong efforts to build customer loyalty. In addition, the quality standards laid down by the EU are likely to favour manufacturers that provide high-quality products. "Conformance to EU norms is essential to remain competitive in the fall protection equipment market which, due to its safety-oriented nature, is highly influenced by regulations and policies," concludes Dr. Balmer. If you are interested in an analysis overview providing an introduction into the European Markets for Fall Protection Equipment - then send an email to Katja Feick Corporate Communications at [email protected] with the following information: Full name, Company Name, Title, Contact Tel Number, Email. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be emailed to you.

Research and Markets : Protective Clothing alone is the biggest sector within the European market for personal protective equipment. Business Wire; 6/24/2005 DUBLIN, Ireland – Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c19755) has announced the addition of West European Market for Textiles in Personal Protective Equipment to their offering. As legislation on health and safety at work has gained momentum, so also has the West European market for personal protective equipment. The driving force has been the European Union, which has enacted regulations and created industrial standards that are binding upon its member states. Other European countries, although not themselves members of the EU, have inevitably found themselves drawn into this process. The textile elements of personal protective equipment--protective clothing and gloves-constitute a major component of the West European personal protective equipment market. Together, the two accounted for 57.5% of the total value in 2000, growing to an estimated 59.8% in 2004 and to a forecast 61.8% in 2008. By the end of this period they are expected to generate as much as Euro2,976 mn (US$3,777 mn) in sales revenue compared with Euro2,417 mn in 2003, representing a compound average growth rate of 4.2% per annum over the period. Individually, protective clothing is the biggest sector within the European market for personal protective equipment. End users spend almost twice as much on protective clothing as on head protection, or gloves or footwear. Sales of protective clothing in Western Europe are forecast to grow at a compound rate of 5.5% a year between 2003 and 2008, from Euro1,425 mn (US$1,612 mn) to Euro1,862 mn. Meanwhile, sales of protective gloves are forecast to grow by an average of 2.3% a year, from Euro992 mn to almost Euro1,114 mn.

Recent developments in the protective clothing and body armor industry detailed in new report available at MarketResearch.com. M2 Presswire; 12/16/2004 M2 PRESSWIRE-16 December 2004-MarketResearch.com: Recent developments in the protective clothing and body armor industry detailed in new report available at MarketResearch.com(C)1994-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD RDATE:12142004 New York - The protective clothing industry plays a crucial role in the protection of firemen, police officers, military personnel, and industrial workers. Concerns for general worker safety, including protection from death and disabling injuries and illnesses, as well as protection from the specific threats of chemical agents and splashes, fire, and bullets, have resulted in an entire industry devoted to personal protective equipment. This equipment includes everything from chemical protective garments and suits to firefighters' turnout gear to industrial fire retardant garments to bullet-resistant vests to respirators. While the industry has not seen many new standards and regulations, there have been significant revisions and additions to many of the existing standards for worker protective clothing in the areas of chemical protection, fire protection, and bulletresistant garments. In addition to these changes, the terrorist events of September 11, 2001 have spurred growth in some segments of this industry. While this growth is considered to be an anomaly by some industry experts, it is expected to last for at least the next 5 years. "Protective Clothing and Body Armor Industry: Fire, Chemicals and Bullets," a new report by publisher BCC that can be purchased at MarketResearch.com, provides an overview of the major trends within the personal protective equipment industry and market analyses for each end-use segment. Historical data, as well as 5-year forecasts (for the years 2001 to 2006), is provided to demonstrate market sizes and changes. The protective clothing industry is undergoing significant growth in many areas as a direct result of the terrorist activities that occurred on September 11, 2001. Tracking and predicting growth related to these events, as well as examining offsetting growth factors, is one of the reasons for this study. In addition, the revisions that have been made to existing standards have forced manufacturers to change the materials used in the production of some forms of personal protection equipment.

Also, while there is growth in many segments of the personal protective clothing market, the number of players in some segments of the industry is decreasing due to acquisitions. Examining the current situation of the market place and reviewing the technological advances expected as a result of all these factors are some of the other reasons why this study was necessary. This study is intended to provide a timely and accurate view of the industry, its' major participants, and its future growth potential, as well as the technologies and standards that are crucial to the industry. For full report details, and to purchase, http://www.marketresearch.com/researchindex/828913.html

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Niche Applications and Evolving Designs Drive the Western European Markets for Above-the-Neck Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). LONDON, February 15, 2006/PRNewswire/ -- Legislation for Above-the-Neck PPE Helps Boost Sales Despite the relative saturation of the western European markets for above-the-neck personal protective equipment, legislation, education, technical innovation and replacement of safety equipment are ensuring that the market remains dynamic. Importantly, legislations concerning above-the-neck PPE are a major driver for the sale of these products and in addition to accelerating the product replacement rate, legislations could further expand the market for above-the-neck PPE by increasing the number of end users. As an example of their influence, the 'EU Directive 2003/10/EC' (commonly referred to as the Noise at Work Directive) has increased the number of workers who need to use hearing protection. Crucially, changes in legislation are providing a major thrust to the sale of new abovethe-neck PPE. Considering that the market is relatively saturated and offers limited opportunities, legislative changes are all the more vital in expanding the market. Benefiting from such changes, the market for fire safety helmets will receive a major boost with the revision of regulation EN443. "Niche markets such as laser eye safety and electronic earmuffs are still in their infancy and offer good scope for above-the-neck PPE industry participants," notes Frost & Sullivan ( http://chemicals.frost.com) Research Analyst Kumud Verma. "While the market for electronic earmuffs is driven by the need to communicate in a noisy workplace, laser eye protection is driven simply by the increasing use of lasers in industrial and medical applications."

However, with increasing price competition and market saturation, most above-the-neck PPE companies are under severe price pressure while operating in a volatile market environment. While European suppliers are increasingly using the Far East as a manufacturing base to cut down costs, low-priced products from the Far East are proving to be a major threat to their market share. In addition, improvements in manufacturing processes and the shrinking of the European manufacturing industry are also exerting a notable restraint on the market. While the automation of processes and use of engineering controls in manufacturing facilities is limiting the sale of above-the-neck PPE in relevant applications, most countries in Western Europe, to a certain extent, have witnessed a decline in manufacturing and related industries due to the growing trend towards outsourcing. In 2004, the revenues for the western European markets for above-the-neck PPE were worth EUR 475.8 million and are forecast to generate EUR 587.9 million by 2011. Eye protection equipment account for a predominant 50.6 per cent of the market revenues and along with them being more frequently used, there exists notable influence of related fashion and sports goods in their design. Hearing protection equipment have of late been positively influenced by the over whelming response to the introduction of electronic earmuffs and account for 28.4 per cent of the market revenues. Finally, head protection equipment account for 21.0 per cent of the revenues in the western European markets for above-the-neck PPE. "Although above-the-neck PPE market essentially exists to provide protection and to allow industry to conform to safety regulations, value-added features such as comfort and styling can be important sales tools," says Ms. Verma. "In a market witnessing increasing price competition and consolidation, product comfort, design and style could provide a gateway for market participants to establish and maintain a competitive advantage." If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the latest analysis of the Western European Markets for Above-the-neck Personal Protective Equipment, please send an email to Janina Hillgrub, Corporate Communications, at [email protected], with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, email address, city, state and country. We will send you the information via e-mail upon receipt of the above information. List of key industry participants: 3M, Abrium, Adco Safety, AKU Denmark, Arco, ASSOSIC, Auboueix, AVAG, Bacou-Dalloz, Berendsen Safety, Bolle Protection, BPA/ Brancheforening for Personligt Arbedsmilj0, BSIF, Bullard GmbH, Casco, Centurion, Doenges, Draeger Safety, EAR, EDE, Farnell, FEBELSAFE, Fisher Safety, France Securite, Gallet MSA, GPT Glendale, Greenham Trading, Hellberg Safety, Helmet Integrated Systems Ltd, Hornell, IVPS, Jackson, JSP, Leipold & Dohle, Medop, Midera, Moldex,

MSA AUER, MSA Sordin, Northsafety, Offenhaeuser + Berger GmbH, Omni Comercial, Optor es, Oy Silenta Ltd., Pacific Helmets, Parker Merchanting, Personna Central S.A., Procurator, Productos Climax, S.A, Rosenbauer International AG, Sacit, Schott AG, Schuberth, Scott International, Sibol, S.A.L, Skydda I Sverige, STYL, Supreme Visors, SYNAMAP, Tacconi SpA, Texport, Turton, Univet, Uvex Arbeitsschutz GmbH, Vandeputte International, Verband Arbeitssicherheit, Vispro Protection S.L.,Voss, VSU Verband Schweizerischer Unfallverhutungsfirmen, Wenaas, Xelux List of keywords in this press release: above-the-neck personal protective equipment, PPE, western Europe, "EU Directive 2003/10/EC, EN 443, laser eye protection, electronic earmuffs, eye protection equipment, ear protection equipment, hearing protection equipment, research, information, market, trends, technology, service, forecast, market share

In-depth analysis of European users of PPE New research shows that superior technical performance is the top end-user concern in the European market for personal protective equipment. New research shows that superior technical performance is the top end-user concern in the European market for personal protective equipment. Frost and Sullivan's report entitled 'Personal Protective Equipment: Analysis of European End-users' (and 65,000 other titles) can be obtained from market research supplier Midnight Croquet. The report provides an end-user analysis of the European market for personal protective equipment, covering above-the-neck protection, protective clothing, protective gloves and protective footwear. Analysis covers market forecasts, competitive structure, industry background and recent trends, purchasing trends, distribution channel trends and purchasing needs. The report also profiles major brands and includes a database of key industry participants. Frost and Sullivan's analysis of the European personal protective equipment (PPE) market reveals that end users primarily evaluate technical performance of products, followed by price and customer service, when purchasing PPE for their employees. However, as far as technical performance is concerned, end users mainly just look for the products to comply with specified European legislation.

'Above-the-neck protection is one area where new pan-European legislations should have a positive effect on sales in the coming years,' says Frost and Sullivan industry analyst Dr Brian Balmer. 'The reduction in noise threshold limits in working environments from 85 to 80 decibels is likely to increase the number of workers that need to wear hearing protection'. Although most companies said that their purchase of PPE depended on its ability to meet European norms, some end users - for example, Italian companies - stated that their PPE purchasing was strongly driven by local norms. Among specific product-related needs, wearer comfort tended to outweigh all other considerations, except hazard protection performance. Although many companies now perform field tests of new products with their employees before placing orders, the price rather than the comfort factor still tends to rule at the time of making the actual purchase. Customer service featured next on end users' lists of purchasing needs. Brand or manufacturer's reputation did not appear to be a major consideration. 'The implication is therefore that, if a company thinks a product from a lesser known source seems to do the job as well as the market-leading brands and is cheaper, the company is likely to buy the less expensive product,' says Dr Balmer. 'This could, in many cases, be a distributor's own-brand product or something similar'. PPE companies are now looking at customer service as an increasingly important way of achieving differentiation. In the protective gloves market, for instance, manufacturers are providing audits or 'glove plans' whereby they visit an end user, inspect the workplace and make informed recommendations on the kind of gloves the company should use. PPE manufacturers looking to increase market share must keep track of the frequency with which customers review their PPE requirements. While most companies conduct an annual review of products and brands available, a significant number of respondents in the Frost and Sullivan analysis said that they would consider changing their supplier only when supply contracts are due for renewal or if they faced specific service-related problems. Again, 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 have the highest PPE expenditure per employee. While marketing visits feature in the preferred marketing methods of all countries, they were least popular in France and Benelux where advertisements and direct marketing channels, respectively, are most effective. Companies in Germany tended to favour PPE trade shows, with 58.5 per cent of end users using this method as compared to the European average of 33 per cent. Scandinavian companies, on the other hand, were more inclined towards visits, direct marketing, and advertisements as well as proactive searching such as on the Internet. At the time of actually placing the order for PPE, large companies seem to favour product samples while smaller companies seem happy to choose from catalogues. No doubt linked to the low importance of brand name, end-users could not either provide a great deal of insight into the relative strengths of different brands. Some trends do still emerge however. Customers show a high degree of loyalty to some particular brands, often buying many different products from these brands. However, the study suggests that brand loyalty might be undermined in certain cases; for instance, if a customer changes suppliers and is unable to source its preferred brand from the new supplier. In such cases, the customer may opt to go in for the brand stocked by the new supplier.