Austrian companies invested €404 million in protective clothing last year, according to a survey by the Association for the Promotion of Occupational Safety (VAS).

Demand has been highest in healthcare, road construction, and the wood industry, with key items including high-visibility clothing, rain and UV protection gear and safety footwear.

This marks the first time the €400 million threshold has been surpassed, said VAS, an association of manufacturers and specialist retailers of safety products.

Sales of safety equipment have grown steadily since 2017, with an average annual increase of around 9%.

“The crisis-related peak of 2020 was significantly exceeded in 2023,” said Oskar Villani, who directed the survey. Villani noted that it’s reasonable to assume Austrian firms have taken lessons from past crises to heart, realising how essential preventive safety measures are for both staff wellbeing and business success.