A newly released joint study by the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), with support from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and EHS Today, reveals expert sustainability insights from the personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety equipment industry.

The study, Protecting Workers and Planet: Sustainability in the PPE and Safety Equipment Industry, was aimed at better understanding market needs and preferences as safety equipment suppliers are facing challenges to offer products that protect workers and support sustainability goals.

Among the key takeaways, the study found:

• PPE and safety equipment suppliers are already embracing sustainability, with 96% surveyed indicating that already have several sustainable business practices in place, and nearly half noting that they have formal, company-wide sustainability programs in place.
• Safety managers take sustainability seriously, with 80% of end-user safety managers indicating in the survey that sustainability is “an important purchase criterion.”
• Safety is still the job priority: While sustainability is important, it will never take a back to seat to protecting workers.

“Over the last several years, the growth of sustainable products has skyrocketed, especially in the consumer world,” said ISEA president and CEO Cam Mackey. “And, while most businesses are still developing their own approach towards sustainable purchasing, now is the time for providers of PPE and safety equipment to prepare for a future where a certain degree of sustainability practices will likely be table stakes.”

Access the study via the ISEA news item.