Win workwear and PPE accounts by calling when the risk analysis changes

Workwear and protective equipment are bought because the law and the work demand them. Every employer with risky work needs them, which makes the market large but also crowded. Most buyers already have a supplier, often with a framework contract or a rental and laundry service. The suppliers that win new accounts are the ones that call when something changes: a new risk analysis, a new site, a complaint about fit, or a contract that is about to end.

The market: a legal duty for every employer with risky work

In Belgium, the employer pays. According to the Federal Public Service Employment, the employer bears the cost of providing personal protective equipment and of its maintenance, cleaning, disinfection, repair and timely replacement. PPE is only used when collective or organisational measures cannot reduce the risk enough, it must meet EU Regulation 2016/425, and the employer asks the prevention adviser for advice. For ordinary work clothing, Securex summarises that the employer provides it free of charge from the first day, owns it, maintains it and renews it in time; a Royal Decree of 11 June 2023 clarified these rules from 1 August 2023.

In the Netherlands, article 8.3 of the Arbobesluit requires enough PPE for employees exposed to a hazard, its use, and its maintenance, repair, cleaning and replacement. The Arbowet gives collective protection priority over individual measures. This summary is general information, not legal advice.

The core buyers are construction, industry and transport. In Belgium, Statbel counted 4,001 construction companies and 4,896 industrial companies with 10 or more employees in 2023, plus 22,466 construction companies with 1 to 4 employees. In the Netherlands, the CBS business register counts 5,570 construction businesses, 8,285 industrial businesses and 3,515 transport businesses with 10 or more working persons on 1 October 2026 (provisional). The same register lists 510 wholesalers of workwear, of which 40 have 10 or more working persons.

Who you call and what you ask

• Prevention adviser or safety manager (QHSE): owns the risk analysis and the choice of protection.
• Purchasing manager: negotiates price, framework contracts and delivery.
• Operations, plant or site manager: hears every complaint about comfort, fit and wear.
• Owner: decides at smaller companies, often together with the foreman.
• HR or marketing: involved when clothing carries the company brand.

Moments that make a call relevant:

• A new or updated risk analysis, after an incident, a new machine or new substances.
• Hiring or a new season: new employees need complete kits quickly.
• A new site or a new client with stricter safety requirements.
• The end of a supply, rental or laundry contract.
• A rebranding: new logos mean new clothing for everyone.

Discovery questions that work in this sector:

1. How many people work on site or in production, and in how many locations?
2. Which risks from your risk analysis does clothing or PPE need to cover?
3. Who supplies you today, and do they also handle laundry and repairs?
4. What do employees complain about most: fit, comfort, durability or delivery times?
5. When does your current agreement end, and who signs the next one?

The answers to the second and fourth question are often the opening for a fitting session: a risk the current kit does not cover well, or a complaint the site manager hears every week.

A short, well-ordered script keeps these questions natural. See how to write a cold calling script.

What slows a calling team down in this sector

• Framework contracts and price pressure. Purchasing often compares on unit price. You need to get to the safety and comfort questions before price ends the call.
• Decisions split between safety and purchasing. The person who chooses is rarely the person who signs. Notes on both save the next call.
• People on the floor. Prevention and site managers are hard to reach at a desk. Repeated attempts at the right hour matter.
• Rental and laundry lock-in. Companies with a garment service switch only at the end of the contract. That date is worth more than any pitch.
• Seasons. Construction holidays and year end slow decisions. Plan call blocks around them.

What it can bring you: efficiency, money and more

A workwear account returns every year for replacements, new hires and sizes, so one extra account is recurring business. The table below is an example with assumed numbers, not a forecast. Replace every figure with your own.

In this example, two new accounts a month are worth 144,000 euro in revenue over three years. Your own numbers will differ, which is why it helps to measure them. See how many calls it takes to win one customer.

Efficiency is the other half. Measure for one week how long your team spends after each call on notes, contract dates and remembering which site manager to call back. Logging the outcome with one key, with the next call already planned, removes most of that. A company whose rental contract ends next spring is then in the calendar in time. Read how to follow up leads for a simple cadence.

Want to see the calling screen first? Try the demo.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. FPS Employment (werk.belgie.be): Persoonlijke beschermingsmiddelen
2. Securex: Werkkledij, duidelijkere bepalingen (Royal Decree of 11 June 2023)
3. Wetten.overheid.nl: Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit, article 8.3
4. Wetten.overheid.nl: Arbeidsomstandighedenwet
5. Statbel: Demography of enterprises with employees, by NACE and size class, 2023 (Bestat)
6. CBS StatLine: Bedrijven; bedrijfsgrootte en rechtsvorm (table 81589NED)