PPE
BALANCING PRIORITIES
As sustainability rises up the corporate agenda, Adam Pope, Head of Safety Marketing at Draeger Safety UK, explains why it must strengthen and not compete with workplace safety.
We live in an increasingly volatile and uncertain world, where the relationship between safety and sustainability is frequently tested. As a result, the two can sometimes find themselves competing for both resources and attention at Board level.
The Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2023 identified sustainability as one of the issues most likely to compete with safety as a business priority. Encouragingly, however, a majority of respondents (62%) believe sustainability has a positive impact on safety and that the two can coexist effectively.
SAFETY FIRST
Sustainability is increasingly influencing safety procurement, particularly in government tenders, where suppliers are expected to demonstrate progress towards net zero goals.
However, in the urgency to evidence sustainability credentials, it is essential that the primary focus remains on protecting people and preserving life. For example, Dräger manufactures respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and breathing apparatus in the UK, including self contained breathing apparatus for firefighters at its facility in Blyth, Northumberland. Such safety equipment must tolerate extreme temperatures, and when it comes to certain high-performance components, such as flame-resistant polymers or specialist elastomers, more sustainable alternatives are not yet available without jeopardising performance.
While Dräger is committed to reducing its environmental impact and sourcing materials more sustainably, it cannot risk undermining the core function of its equipment. In such cases, product quality and the protection of life must take precedence.
TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
This focus on quality links closely to total cost of ownership, an increasingly important consideration when procuring safety equipment. The cheapest option is rarely the most cost effective over the longer term and is often less sustainable.
Consumable components such as sensors and batteries can vary significantly in lifespan, and replacement frequency can strongly influence both long-term value and environmental impact. Frequent replacement increases waste, landfill, and transport emissions associated with logistics and servicing. It can also have operational and financial consequences if replacement parts are not readily available, potentially leading to lost productivity and reputational risk.
The circular economy aims to extend product lifecycles, and safety manufacturers are supporting this through practices such as sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing,
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refurbishing, and recycling. Renting equipment for intermittent use, such as during pipeline shutdowns, can be a more sustainable procurement option, as it reduces waste and improves resource efficiency.
Similarly, regular servicing and maintenance can extend equipment lifespan. While adherence to manufacturer guidelines is essential for safety, proactive maintenance and calibration can reduce replacement intervals, further supporting circular economy principles.
WORKFORCE ATTITUDES TO SUSTAINABILITY
Workforce perception is another important factor. Research from the Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2025 points to the rise of a more sceptical ‘Gen C’, our term for a cynical generation in the workplace, where younger employees have a high expectation that businesses will own responsibility and take their environmental promises seriously.
The research also found that six in ten workers believe their employer engages in some level of ‘greenwashing’. Such behaviour by businesses risks undermining trust in genuine sustainability efforts (and other efforts around issues such as safety) and can damage the broader employer-employee relationship, which in turn can threaten a preventive and holistic safety culture in the long term. A lack of trust can weaken safety culture by discouraging employees from reporting concerns or seeking support, including for issues such as mental health or substance misuse. In turn, this can have a direct impact on workplace safety.
CONCLUSION
The relationship between safety and sustainability must remain collaborative rather than competitive. Both ultimately share the same goal: protecting people today without compromising future wellbeing.
www.draeger.com TOMORROW’S HEALTH & SAFETY YEARBOOK 2026/27
www.draeger.com/en_uk/Home
WWW.TOMORROWSHS.COM
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