The growth of manufacturing along with new safety requirements in emerging countries spells a greater demand for machine safety solutions – and implementing machine safety systems can give manufacturers a competitive advantage and a positive public image, according to new research from Frost & Sullivan.
“Safety systems monitor health of plant equipment to reduce its exposure to damage and lengthen its lifecycle,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Anna Mazurek. “In addition, they decrease the probability of work-related injuries, allowing machine operators to work more efficiently. This drives end-users to employ machine safety solutions.”
Frost & Sullivan’s Strategic Analysis of Global Machine Safety Market research finds that the market earned revenues of more than $1.27 billion in 2011 and estimates this to reach $1.75 billion in 2016.
Manufacturers, especially in developed countries where law enforcement is high, are aware that it is more cost-efficient to use machine safety devices than bear the penalty for non-compliance. Improvements in safety solutions also offer business opportunities for machine safety vendors among conservative end-users.
However, the recent economic downturn has forced manufacturers to concentrate on reducing operating and maintenance costs, leading to declining investments in areas not crucial for plant operation. Unfortunately, this can cover safety solutions as well, which many end-users still view as non-critical. In developing countries, poor execution of policies curbs investment, which leads to lower sales and slower development of technology. End-users need to realize that a safe working environment is not an optional production process improvement, but a necessity and an obligation to employees.
“To drive adoption, suppliers need to educate potential customers on the full range of safety benefits offered through the advancements in plant networking devices and control systems,” concluded Mazurek. “To optimize their investment, end-users must know how to assess the risk of injury and opt for solutions that can address those specific needs.”