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 low-
priced 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 katja.feick@frost.com 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 bullet-
resistant 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, please visit:

http://www.marketresearch.com/researchindex/828913.html

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 above-
the-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 e-
mail to Janina Hillgrub, Corporate Communications, at Janina.Hillgrub@frost.com, with
the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-
mail 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.