Safety and compliance solutions company J. J. Keller & Associates and the International Safety Equipment Association recently joined forces to conduct a comprehensive study on the top challenges in managing PPE procurement and proper usage. 

The results of the study, titled "2025 PPE Pain Points Study: Top Trends and Challenges," were released last Wednesday. 

“With the study, we examined PPE program development, purchase, training and compliance,” said Bob Larsen, vice president of Research & Development with J. J. Keller. “We believe that understanding this 360-degree view of PPE pain points over time is important to continuous improvement as an industry.”

The study report can be downloaded by the public on the J. J. Keller website, and members of ISEA can download it on the association’s website.

Respondents qualifying to take the survey are responsible for purchasing and/or managing PPE across various industries. The survey was fielded in October 2024.

“Safety professionals are committed to protecting workers, but this research shows that persistent challenges remain — especially in compliance and training,” said Cam Mackey, president and CEO of ISEA. 

“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,” Mackey added.

On April 17, at 10 a.m. (CDT), J. J. Keller and ISEA experts will present a free webcast titled “2025 PPE Pain Points Study: Key Insights, Challenges, and Solutions." 

This event will explore significant pain points and practical strategies for tackling them. The public can register HERE.

Summary of Key Findings:

• PPE Management Is Generally Strong: Of those responding to the survey, 95% completely or somewhat have the time and resources needed to assess PPE needs properly, and 70% talk with their employees regularly about PPE.
• Getting Employees to Always Wear PPE Continues to Be a Challenge: More than 75% of respondents reported difficulty getting employees to wear PPE at least some of the time.
• Durability is the Number One Criteria When Purchasing PPE:  More than one-third of respondents prioritize durability, followed by comfort, emphasizing the need for PPE that workers can and will consistently wear. 
• Challenges Occur in Finding PPE in Larger and Smaller Sizes:  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.
• Weather Is a Consideration, but There’s More Opportunity Here: While 84% of respondents factor weather conditions into PPE purchases, there is a growing need for more education on selecting PPE optimized for extreme temperatures.
• Women’s Sizing Is Increasingly Considered: More companies prioritize PPE designed for women, though nearly one-third of respondents still face challenges finding properly fitting options.
• Training Is a Challenge: Nearly half of respondents struggle with training employees on critical PPE usage aspects, including when PPE is necessary, how to wear it properly, and its limitations.

For more information, visit jjkeller.com.