Norway uses the widest array of personal protective equipment (PPE) products out of any country in the world, followed in second place by the U.S., according to a recent occupational safety study conducted by 3M (St. Paul).
The study revealed that use of PPE varies widely by country. The survey of 298 safety professionals in 10 countries, representing the Americas, Europe and Asia, covered a spectrum of industries, including construction, oil and gas, transportation and mining. The top ten PPE products specified by safety professionals include safety gloves, shoes, ear plugs, goggles, helmets/hard hats, non-prescription eyewear, face shields, disposable respirators, earmuffs and welding protection shields. Further, safety gloves are the most commonly used safety product worldwide, with 91 percent of respondents indicating their use.
In addition to geographical differences in the overall use of PPE, 3M also identified differences in the use of specific types of PPE. For example, earmuffs are specified by 100 percent of respondents in Norway but only 15 percent of respondents in China; communication headsets are specified by 67 percent of respondents in France but only 10 percent of respondents in Italy.
3M identified that China offers the greatest growth potential for the application of PPE because of its booming manufacturing sector, combined with a relatively recent focus on workplace safety. Even still, of the top ten most commonly used categories of PPE, China reported the lowest use in seven categories.
The study comes as 3M celebrates "40 years of safety leadership," commemorating its 1972 introduction of the first NIOSH-approved disposable filtering face respirator and first disposable earplug. Recently, it launched the "40 Years of Safety Sweepstakes," which has a "VIP NASCAR Weekend Experience" grand prize. The contest can be entered here.
