Protective workwear market forecast to be worth £10bn by 2026

Increasing demand for protective clothing has resulted in worldwide sales of protective workwear amounting to £6bn in 2018, and the market is forecast to be worth £10bn within the next six or seven years.

The rise of protective workwear sales has been driven by strict regulations by governments all over the world. The sales increase is forecast in a report by Allied Market Research: “Protective Clothing Market by Material Type, Application and End-user.”

There has been an increase in research and development of new types of protective clothing and PPE (personal protective equipment). Protective workwear is available in a number of fibres, including polyolefin, polybenzimidazole, cotton and polyester. Protective clothing is designed for many sectors where workers face hazardous conditions, such as oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, firefighters, military and law enforcement.

At the moment, there is a growth in using electronic sensors in clothing that can detect when workers have accidents alert first responders. Sensors warn when extreme temperatures and hazardous substances are threatening worker safety.

The energy sector, particularly oil and gas, is expected to have the highest growth in demand for new types of protective clothing.

The highest sales of protective clothing are in North America, but developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to have the largest growth rate over the period to 2026. There is a high demand in Britain too because of regulations and laws enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).