Jamie Breme, Director of Business Development, and O’Brien Mills, Vice President of Safety, collaborated to form an article printed in the May edition of Transportation Builder. In the article, they discuss the importance of safety helmets and why more companies should adapt the safety protocols Aldridge Electric has in place.
In an industry known for building some of the most transformative structures in the world, why are we so resistant to change when it comes to our personal protective equipment (PPE)—namely our head protection? Today’s safety helmets offer better protection, and yet here in the U.S. are vastly underutilized. Traditional hard hats, which have changed little over the last 100 years, remain the norm. To understand this dynamic, and how we as an industry can change this mindset, we must first understand the hard hat’s evolution.
History and Regulation
The hard hat has been part of our national DNA for over a century. Its origins date to 1919, when a young soldier named Edward Bullard returned from WWI and replicated his military issued helmet using boiled canvas, leather, and glue. Bullard’s “hard boiled hat” was designed to protect miners from falling rocks and Navy shipbuilders from overhead construction debris.
Over the next few decades, little innovation took place. While the materials used to make hard hats improved with the introduction of plastic in the 1950s, their overall form and function—protection from falling hazards—remained unchanged for decades. In 1961, the first major improvement came with the Topgard and V-Gard hard hat, which included adjustable support for a better fit. In the six decades since, we have continued to see these relics of the past used throughout our industry.
While hard hat technology was slow to adapt, regulation of head protection lagged as well. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1 industrial head protection standard for both type I and type II hard hats remain centered around protection from falling hazards. Retention systems such as the chin strap are optional. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has only addressed minimal standards for head protection, leaving much to the discretion of employers.
A Better Way
Over the last decade, however, awareness of the effects of traumatic brain injuries in high-impact sports grew. Safety helmet manufacturers began working on innovations and improvements geared toward protecting athletes from side-blows and other rotational forces. Meanwhile, studies revealed the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries on construction jobsites. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), construction workers in America sustain more traumatic brain injuries than any other type of employee. From 2003-2010, 2,210 fatal traumatic brain injuries occurred on construction sites at a rate of 2.6 per 100,000 full-time workers.
These statistics, while shocking, were accepted as the industry norm until 2015, when business leaders started looking for better solutions. They noticed European companies had already adopted safety helmets that offered 360-degree protection. These helmets were shown to prevent and reduce brain injury because, for the first time, they offered top and lateral impact protection and top and lateral penetration and helmet retention—using a simple chin strap to keep the helmet on. Today’s safety helmets are ushering in a new era of technology and innovation.
At Aldridge, we are on a never-ending quest to create a worldclass safety program that better protects our employees. We remain focused on our IIF—Incident and Injury-Free commitment. After analyzing head injury data in the construction industry and looking to peer companies, we proudly became one of the first organizations within the U.S. to supply every employee with a safety helmet. We selected the Kask Zenith because they are at the forefront of industry standards providing an ergonomic fit. The strategically placed foam padding offers critical frontal, rear and side impact protection and the chin strap keeps it in place.
Change is Good
Change does not always come easy. Our workforce is comprised of people with the passion, talent and grit needed to get the job done. This deep-seated determination often means that old habits die hard.
In the early days of our switch to safety helmets, the chin strap was a major point of contention. Many workers pleaded their case that it was uncomfortable and looked odd. However, a connected chin strap is critical to the helmet staying on and thus preventing injuries. Over time these concerns lessened, and crews embraced the straps after seeing first-hand how well they protected colleagues during incidents.
Crews also came to appreciate their advanced comfort features. The materials inside are made of quick-dry fabric designed to wick away moisture. Ventilation inside allows for airflow. And a more ergonomic and streamlined fit combined with adjustable sizing and interior suspension offer enhanced comfort and improved work performance.
The helmets also come with more than 1,000 customized options and interchangeable components depending on the job at hand. These technologies include eye and face protection, hearing and weather protection, headlamps, and other specialized safety accessories. Successful transition rollouts have included a “make it yours” campaign. Allowing employees to choose their own accessories and customize the look, feel, and fit of the helmets has been shown to increase acceptance and adoption across the field.
The Path Forward
While a companywide transition to safety helmets is a significant investment from the standard hard hat, which costs approximately $20, it’s important to remember the cost savings realized over time. Typically, a worker will wear a hard hat for no more than two years. Safety helmets are a longer-term investment with replaceable parts and accessories that extend wearability for several years past a traditional hard hat.
As more companies embrace safety helmets, costs will continue to drop. Much of the “premium” is the result of importing the product from Europe. U.S.-based manufacturers will adapt to the changing industry if we adjust our mindset. And, if OSHA and ANSI regulations are updated to meet the performance requirements of EN12492 for working at height, we will see an influx of safety helmet suppliers in the U.S., pushing the cost per helmet further down.
First, however, we must align as an industry and commit ourselves to providing employees with the best PPE possible. Company leaders can start within their own firms and inspire others to embrace the move to safety helmets, even across competitive boundaries. Instead of asking, “Why safety helmets?” we need to be asking, “Why are they NOT choosing safety helmets?” In making this cultural shift, we will better protect our employees and ensure everyone goes home safely to their families at the end of the day.
See the full article here: https://www.artba.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/TB-May-June-2023.pdf
