Health and safety leaders encouraged to participate in survey
J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) have launched the 2025 edition of their collaborative PPE Pain Points Study, aimed at identifying ongoing challenges in PPE management and use.
Now in its fourth year, the benchmarking study collects input from environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals on their experiences with PPE program development, procurement, training, and day-to-day use. This is the second consecutive year of formal collaboration between J. J. Keller and ISEA.
The survey is open through December 1, 2025, and responses will inform ongoing efforts to improve PPE standards, design, and field-level implementation.
“Our goal, in the J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights, is to listen closely to the experiences that professionals in transportation, manufacturing, construction and a multitude of other industries have every day that challenge their ability to keep their teams safe,” said Susan Baranczyk, head of corporate communications at J. J. Keller.
“We share the results as widely as possible to inform and create conversation that will lead to overcoming the challenges.”
Cam Mackey, president and CEO of ISEA, added:
“As the voice of the safety equipment industry, ISEA is committed to understanding and addressing the real-world challenges that EHS and safety professionals face every day.
“By partnering with J. J. Keller on this important survey, we aim to gather valuable insights that will inform our standards development, improve the PPE purchasing process, and help ensure that workers across industries have access to high-quality products that effectively and reliably protect them.”
Findings from previous years
The 2024 survey, which also included collaboration with ISEA, identified several recurring PPE challenges, such as:
- Inconsistent worker involvement in PPE selection,
- Gaps in training and awareness,
- PPE discomfort and poor fit—particularly for women and smaller-framed workers,
- Procurement decisions influenced more by cost than compliance or suitability,
- Limited access to inclusive and diverse PPE product lines.
These findings were published in March 2025 and reinforced concerns raised in previous years about the disconnect between PPE availability and worker needs. The report noted that many workplaces still struggle to align PPE policies with both regulatory requirements and day-to-day realities on worksites.
Implications for Canadian employers
While this is a U.S.-based survey, its findings are highly relevant to Canadian safety professionals, particularly in relation to compliance with CSA Group standards such as:
- CSA Z94.1 (Industrial Protective Headwear),
- CSA Z94.3 (Eye and Face Protectors),
- CSA Z195 (Protective Footwear).
Canadian safety managers may find the resulting data useful for assessing their own PPE programs, identifying worker engagement gaps, and guiding procurement or training decisions as part of 2026 safety planning.
J. J. Keller and ISEA intend to publish the findings after the survey closes on December 1. Participation is anonymous and open to professionals across sectors.
