Respiratory Protective Equipment Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Overview

Respiratory Protective Equipment market size is forecast to reach US$10.8 billion by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 6.3% during 2022-2027. Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a particular type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) breathing apparatus, used to protect the individual wearer against the inhalation of hazardous substances in the workplace air. The demand for airline respirators, powered air purifying respirators, mouth bit respirators, and other respiratory equipment is increasing as awareness of employee health and safety grows, as does the number of industrial fatalities in emerging economies. The growing use of supplied air respirators in industries like construction, food, and mining is expected to propel the global respiratory protective equipment market forward. Furthermore, increasing demand for disposable masks and respirators in healthcare facilities is expected to have a positive impact on the market growth.

COVID-19 Impact

The rising number of cases worldwide, the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 sparked a surge in demand for respiratory protective equipment in healthcare. Several regulatory organizations have advised businesses and governments to ramp up the production of respiratory protective equipment, such as respirators and breathing apparatuses. To meet the medical community's needs during COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) instructed medical device manufacturers and other industries to increase their protective gear supplies by 40% in March 2020. Surgical masks and respirators are among the most important components of critical care in healthcare, and a shortage could result in product shortages, lower profits, and an uncertain future. However, due to strict lockdown measures, demand in other end-user industries decreased in the first few months of 2020, but once industries began to operate, demand was seen in other end-users as well. As a result, the market for respiratory protective equipment was relatively unaffected during the epidemic.

Report Coverage

The report: “Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Report – Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Respiratory Protective Equipment industry.

By Product Type: Air Purifying [Unpowered (Disposable Half Mask, Reusable Half Mask, and Full Face Mask), and Powered (Half Face Mask, Full Face Mask, Helmets, and Hoods & Visors)], and Air Supplied (Air-line Respirators, Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), and Combination SARs) 
By End-Use Industry: Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Oil & Gas, Mining, Defense & Public Safety, Chemical, Aerospace, Metal Fabrication, Food & Beverages, Cement, Power Generation, and Others
By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Belgium, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest of APAC), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Rest of South America), Rest of the World (Middle East, and Africa)

Key Takeaways

• Europe dominates the respiratory protective equipment market. Stringent Government regulations regarding workers’ safety are fueling the market growth in Europe.
• Government officials are highly concerned about worker health and safety. Governments of various countries have issued several safety regulations to reduce accidents and uncertainties in industries, which is driving the market growth.
• Rapidly growing demand for the product in the healthcare & medical industry by patients, visitors, doctors, and hospital staff is also likely to influence the overall market share.
• RPE is widely used in the construction industry during the handling of construction materials such as sand, cement, and Plaster of Paris to avoid inhaling particulate matters. Thus, rapid growth in the construction industry is also projected to boost the market. 

Figure: Asia-Pacific Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)

Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Segment Analysis – By Technology

The air purifying segment held the largest share in the respiratory protective equipment market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during 2022-2027. Due to the sheer sudden global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in demand for APRs. The disposable filtering masks and half-mask respirators are driving the APRs market forward. Half mask air-purifying respirators are designed to meet the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) specifications and are tested and certified in NIOSH laboratories. These respirators are used in a variety of industries, including healthcare, mining, fire services, emergency response, and the military, all of which are expected to contribute to the segment's growth.

Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Segment Analysis – By End-Use Industry

The healthcare & pharmaceuticals segment held the largest share in the respiratory protective equipment market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% during 2022-2027. Respiratory protective equipment is worn by health care workers, by individuals who are taking care of or are in close contact with people who have respiratory infections, or otherwise as directed by a doctor. Due to the nature of their work, healthcare workers (HCWs) may be exposed to various infectious respiratory illnesses where the route of exposure is airborne and may include inhalation of droplets. Thus, healthcare workers who routinely come in contact with hazardous chemicals and other airborne materials often require respiratory protective equipment to protect themselves from exposures to these materials. Owing to this there is an increasing demand for respiratory protective equipment from the healthcare & pharmaceuticals industry.

Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

Europe region held the largest share in the respiratory protective equipment market in 2021 up to 32%. The European Commission's strict regulations on personal protective equipment (PPE) have accelerated market growth. Furthermore, the region's market is expected to be driven by the growing medical & pharmaceutical industry, as well as increased penetration of respiratory protective equipment in the medical & pharmaceutical industry, over the forecast period. For instance, according to the Department of Health & Social Care, for the 3 months 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021, expected demand for PPE (millions, except body bags) Face mask FFP3 was 17.4 and expected demand for PPE (millions, except body bags) Face mask IIR was 470.0 According to the Germany Trade & Investment (GTI), the pandemic of Covid-19 has resulted in annual demand for 2.5 billion protective masks in Germany's healthcare sector. To increase supply for the general population, the federal government started up a funding program to incentivize mask production to reach 7 billion units by summer 2021. The short-term demand for protective masks in Germany could be as high as 8 to 12 billion per year subject to infection rate development, the future availability of medications and vaccines, and legal obligations to wear professional protective equipment as consequence. This corresponds to a minimum annual demand of 2 billion protective masks for general private use, 2.5 billion protective masks in the workplace, and 5 billion protective masks in public transportation. Thus, this surge in demand for respiratory protective equipment accelerated the market growth in the European region.

Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Drivers

Increasing Demand from the Chemical Sector

In the chemical industry exposure to chemicals results in a range of effects from low-level irritation to serious biological harm. In addition, all work areas in the chemical industry are deemed as highly explosive zones or atmospheres. Hence, the electric arc may occur. As a result, the use of protective clothing is required in the chemical industry to protect against harmful chemical materials, fire and explosion, and so on. In addition, the chemical industry must comply with EN ISO 11612, EN 1149.3/5, and EN 13034 standards as regards garments and protective fabrics. Therefore, owning to these factors there is a high demand for protective clothing such as respiratory protective equipment in the chemical industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of chemical engineers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Employment in Chemicals and Chemicals products. With the increasing employment, the demand for respiratory protective equipment will also significantly increase thereby driving the market growth. 

Growing Awareness About Importance of workplace Safety

Workers are protected from toxic gases, chemicals, radiological, and nuclear hazards by wearing respiratory protective equipment. Exposure to asbestos, silica, diesel engine exhaust emissions, and mineral oils causes respiratory cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Exposure to a wide range of toxic vapors, dust, gases, and fumes causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), occupational asthma, pneumoconiosis, and other non-cancerous diseases. According to the National Statistics Health & Safety Executives (HSE), there are approximately 12,000 labor deaths in the United Kingdom each year, with asbestos exposure accounting for two-thirds of those deaths. Occupational exposures, lead poisoning, and acute poisonings caused by poor management are estimated to account for 1 303 100 million deaths (2.3 percent of total deaths) and 43 109 000 DALYs (1.6 percent of the total) worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Thus, there is an increasing awareness about the importance of workplace safety to minimize such accidents, which as a result is driving the respiratory market growth market.

Respiratory Protective Equipment Market Challenges

Issues Regarding Disposal

Face masks and other personal protective equipment have become mandatory for health care workers since the Covid-19 pandemic began last year. To help prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, disposable N95 masks have been in particularly high demand. All of those masks come at a cost, both in terms of money and the environment. The Covid-19 pandemic is expected to generate up to 7,200 tonnes of medical waste per day, with disposable masks accounting for the majority of it. Even if the pandemic slows in some parts of the world, healthcare workers are expected to wear masks for the majority of the time. This factor posed a disposal problem for the respiratory protective equipment market, limiting its growth.

Respiratory Protective Equipment Industry Outlook

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the respiratory protective equipment market. Respiratory protective equipment top 10 companies include:

1. 3M
2. Alpha Pro Tech Ltd.
3. Ansell Ltd.
4. Honeywell International, Inc.
5. Avon Rubber p.l.c.
6. MSA Safety, Inc.
7. Intech Safety Pvt. Ltd.
8. Delta Plus Group
9. Bullard
10. DuPont

Recent Developments

• In August 2020, ViruShield Inc. launched Transformative Mask and Respiratory Accessories - The ViruShield Guardian and The ViruShield Defender.
• In July 2020, ANDRITZ introduced the D-TECH face mask, as well as its respiratory mask line, which includes duckbill and flat fold respirators.

Relevant Reports

Personal Protective Equipment Market – Forecast (2022 - 2027)

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Protective Clothing Market – Forecast (2022 - 2027)

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