You’ve got to hand it to the industrial safety glove market: By the year 2026, total worldwide sales will reach $9.5 billion, thanks to increased safety consciousness among both employers and consumers. That’s according to analyst firm Future Market Insights.
“Growing awareness among consumers regarding health and hygiene, mounting number of accidents at workplaces, and the need for safety against hazardous chemicals and equipment handling has fueled adoption of industrial safety gloves,” observes Yogesh Sengar, a consultant with the analyst firm.
In terms of trends, disposable gloves, Sengar says, are increasing in popularity due primarily to their comparatively lower cost compared to reusable gloves. Various OSHA standards, meanwhile, are pushing the demand for various industrial safety gloves such as neoprene gloves or nitrile gloves.
Another trend impacting the use of industrial gloves has been the rise in automation in the manufacturing sector, particularly as it has reduced the need for humans in some tasks better suited for robots. It stands to reason, then, that as robots replace people in some of the more hazardous areas of manufacturing, that the demand for personal protective equipment such as gloves could be impacted. Robots, after all, don’t need gloves.
While North America is currently the leading market for industrial gloves, the demand for such gloves in Europe is expected to outpace that of North America by 2026. In fact, even the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan) will be a bigger market by 2026 than North America, Sengar predicts.
The most popular type of safety glove will continue to be chemical protective gloves, followed by leather gloves. In addition, rubber insulating gloves will also represent a significant portion of the total market by 2026. The fastest-growing product type over the next eight years will be metal mesh and fabric gloves.
All told, the compound annual growth rate for industrial safety gloves between now and 2026 will be 4.6%, with the fastest growing end-user markets being pharmaceutical and food manufacturers.