PPE Compliance Issues Persist, Study Finds

Most (95%) safety professionals completely or somewhat have the time and resources needed to assess personal protective equipment (PPE) needs properly, found the 2025 PPE Pain Points Study from J. J. Keller & Associate Inc., a leading provider of safety and compliance solutions, and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). Additionally, 70% of those surveyed talk with their employees regularly about PPE.

The survey was fielded in October 2024, and the respondents had responsibility for purchasing and/or managing PPE across a range of industries. Study findings include:

• More than 75% of respondents reported that at least some of the time, they have difficulty getting employees to wear PPE.
• More than one-third of respondents prioritize durability, followed by comfort, emphasizing the need for PPE that workers can and will consistently wear.
• While 75% of respondents have not experienced problems buying PPE in the sizes they need, those who have had issues find difficulty locating larger and smaller sizes.
• While 84% of respondents factor weather conditions into PPE purchases, a growing need for more education on selecting PPE optimized for extreme temperatures exists.
• More companies are prioritizing PPE designed for women, though nearly one-third of respondents still face challenges in finding properly fitting options.
• Nearly half of respondents struggle with training employees on critical PPE usage aspects, including when PPE is necessary, how to properly wear it, and its limitations.

“Safety professionals are committed to protecting workers, but this research shows that persistent challenges remain—especially in compliance and training,” said Cam Mackey, ISEA president and CEO. “By leveraging these insights, safety managers, manufacturers, and industry leaders can take meaningful steps to improve PPE programs, ensuring workers have access to properly fitting, high-quality PPE and are consistently trained to use it correctly.”

J. J. Keller and ISEA experts will host a free webcast, 2025 PPE Pain Points Study: Key Insights, challenges, and solutions, examining the greatest paint points and practical ways to address them, on April 17 at 10 a.m. CT. The public may register here.