The PPE market in France

A little reminder about PPE

Work clothing: worker safety in all sectors

Personal Protective Equipment or PPE: according to European Directive 89/686/EEC, is defined as a means or device that will be held or worn by the person in order to protect him against one or more of these risks. It should be emphasized that it is the protection that is individual and not the equipment, as many people think.

Who uses PPE and why?

PPE perfectly meets the needs of workers in terms of protection against certain risks that can create health problems for them (ear plugs, skin problems, etc.) .) or reduce their productivity. Personal protective equipment allows employees to carry out their work with the best possible safety, thus avoiding accidents at work. The objective of this equipment and to protect the employee during his professional activity regardless of his sector of activity. It should be noted that PPE is not, however, the only way to protect employees in the context of their work, the use of other equipment such as suitable work clothes is necessary to ensure their maximum safety. .

What are the different types of personal protective equipment?

Protective clothing, eye protection, respiratory protection, head protection.

There are three main categories of personal protective equipment:

• Category 1 : protects the employee against all kinds of superficial attacks, both mechanical than chemical or physical ones.
• Category 2 : includes serious attacks that can be physical, chemical or mechanical, as well as shocks that affect vital parts of the body and which are likely to cause irreversible damage.
• Category 3: protect the worker against lethal hazards

For each need, danger, there is specific PPE for each situation, each season, such as PPE designed for extreme cold, or with specific high visibility, etc.

PPE market in France

Wearing personal protective equipment such as gloves, vests, overalls, shoes, helmets, safety harnesses, hearing protection, etc. is always recommended and sometimes made compulsory for the exercise of certain professional activities. While some PPE has been relatively well known to everyone for a few years, it is true that the covid-19 health crisis has highlighted the PPE market, growth in this market is felt with an explosion in demand. The number of online sales has exploded, e-commerce has been taken by storm, forcing some players to turn to the digitization of their offer. The market for the following equipment: masks, gloves, visor has allowed everyone to continue to live / work while being protected. Players in the PPE market have seen their turnover increase as well as strong market growth from the start of the pandemic. Over time, new hazards require PPE manufacturers to move toward technological innovation and increased product manufacturing to reduce workplace risks.

Leader in PPE in France

Competitive pressure

The explosion in demand for PPE threatens the French market, the low barriers to entry strongly encourage competition to enter the market. Distributors and manufacturers specializing in this field are trying to adapt to defend their positions in the face of the proliferation of brands available, especially foreign ones, the new entrants are for many non-specialists in the field.

It is essential to acquire personal protective equipment of quality and certified by standards. Oxwork e-commerce site specializing in personal protective equipment, offers many PPE, for any sector of activity in order to make in the face of all possible dangers. The major PPE brands are present there: Coverguard, PIP, G-tek , Portwest. Quality, safety at the best price guaranteed.

Distribution: Who distributes the PPE?

PPE regulations

It is important to emphasize that there is no regulatory text or article of the Labor Code that requires the employee to wear personal protective equipment if there is any identified danger in his workplace. The employer must in fact first identify and assess the risks, any accident that occurs in the workplace therefore depends on the responsibility of the company. Moreover, the obligation to wear PPE is not always systematic, it all depends on the legislation of the country in question. The employer may require his employees to wear personal protective equipment. Regarding the conditions for making PPE available, these are provided for by the labor code.

In France, PPE is equipment for personal use and must be provided free of charge by the employerr, who must also provide cleaning equipment to ensure the hygiene of the equipment. The employer must also inform his employees about the use of PPE, by providing instructions for use which relate:

• The risks against which PPE protects them
• The conditions of use of PPE, in particular the uses for which they are reserved
• Instructions or instructions concerning PPE and conditions of provision
• Procedure for checking the good condition of your PPE before each use
• Indicators of PPE deterioration (wear of components, discoloration, hole or tear, etc.)
• Procedure for the correct adjustment of PPE (checking the seal for respiratory protective devices, etc.)
• Procedure for removing PPE (for example: against a chemical risk, in order to avoid contamination�)

All the instructions mentioned must also be present in the internal regulations of the company. In addition to this user manual, it is strongly recommended to carry out as often as it adequate training on PPE, especially on complex PPE, with the aim of optimizing the safety provided by PPE.

Who checks the good condition of personal protective equipment?

The company, beyond supplying this personal protective equipment, is responsible for ensuring the periodic verification of the PPE, this verification contributes to maintaining the compliance of the PPE, therefore ensuring the employee safety. The frequency of checks must be adapted to the constraints to which the PPE is subjected during its use (contact with chemical products, wear, etc.). It takes into account the information provided by the manufacturer in the instruction manual. According to the EPI, this verification is imposed on the employer, according to the decree of March 19, 1993, O.J. of March 28, 1993. This verification can be carried out by the manager himself or he can delegate this task to someone rigorous and trustworthy.

Remember that PPE such as: headphones, or safety shoes, safety trainers must be completed with workwear : work pants , work overalls, or more specific workwear such as high-visibility clothing.