Analysis of the Technological Development and Convergence Characteristics of Safety Protective Equipment Using Patent Data : Focusing on Fall Prevention PPE

This study analyzes the development and convergence of protective equipment technologies (safety helmets, safety shoes, and safety harnesses) to prevent fall-related accidents in industrial workplaces. Domestic patent data were examined to assess trends in applications, technological convergence, applicant types, and patent influence. Data were collected via WIPS ON and categorized by applicant type and technological convergence. The Patent Impact Index (PII) was used to evaluate patent quality across protective equipment types, applicants, and collaborations. The results show a sharp rise in patent applications after 2010, driven by IoT, smart sensors, and data communication technologies. Since 2015, patents integrating physics (G-class) and electrical (H-class) technologies have increased significantly, with corporate collaboration patents showing higher technological impact. Safety helmets exhibit the most active technological convergence, and corporate applications are becoming dominant, shifting the focus from research to commercialization. These findings confirm that protective equipment is evolving into intelligent safety devices through technological convergence. Corporate-led R&D and collaborative applications are key drivers of this transformation. This study contributes to industrial safety research by providing an empirical analysis of patent trends. Future studies should compare international patent trends and conduct field validation to refine technological advancement strategies.