Why Construction Employers Are Switching To Safety Helmets With Chin Straps
Construction workers wear hard hats. These hard hats are the symbol of head safety. Head protection hit the market shortly after WWI. At the construction of the Hoover Dam in 1931, employers for the first time required workers to wear hard hats. The hard hat is the first line of defense for personal protective equipment. However, SIVAD PPE has noticed a new standard for head protection trending in the construction industry.
What Are The Differences Between Hard Hats and Safety Helmets?
The traditional hard hat is usually secured to the employee's head by an adjustable ratchet suspension for to allow for a custom fit. A safety helmet typically has a shorter brim and contains foam or pressure diffusion technology that reduces the force of impact. Additionally, safety helmets have built in chin straps.
What Are The Safety Requirements For Head Protection
A traditional hard hat is designed to protect against impact made to the head by falling or swinging objects. The ANSI Z89.1 Type I hard hat protects the top of the wearer’s head. The ANSI Z89.1 Type II hard hat protects the top and sides of the head. Most ANSI Z89.1 Type I and Type II hard hats do not include a chin strap.The EN 12492 standard does mandate a chin strap.
Why More Construction Employers Are Switching To Safety Helmets With Chin Straps
Safety helmets with chin straps are gaining ground in the construction industry in recent years. The popularity is expected to grow. This is largely due to the exceptional protection offered by a safety helmet style compared to the hard hat style. Simply put, if an employee falls, the hard hat can fall off the employee's head. A chin strap secures the helmet to the head in order to prevent the helmet from coming off. Ensuring head protection stays in place in the event of a fall is crucial to the safety of the worker.
Counting the Costs
The average cost of a hard hat is around $15 each. Compare that to the average cost of a safety helmet starting at $90 each. The initial cost may be daunting to some employers. By taking in the big picture, there are big savings in the long run.
According to OSHA.gov, 4,764 workers died on the job in 2020. Nearly 60% of head injuries are caused by fall accidents from higher levels or falls on the same level. Workers in transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations accounted for nearly half of all fatal occupational injuries. And that can get pricey. A mild head injury, such as a concussion, can cost a company over $100k, whereas moderate injuries are estimated to cost $941,000 and severe injuries up to $3 million.
In addition to helping reduce workers compensation costs, the use of safety helmets with chin straps in the construction industry can lead to a reduction in lost labor and productivity. This overall presents added financial savings for employers. Keeping these long term cost savings in mind can help ease the up-front price of purchasing new safety helmets with chin straps.
SIVAD PPE Has You Covered
By swapping hard hats to safety helmets with chin straps, construction companies can better protect their employees while on the job site, while simultaneously reducing their workers compensation costs and hours of labor lost. Your employees deserve the best head protection available.
SIVAD PPE carries safety helmets with chin straps. We can help your business transition from hard hats to safety helmets. Contact our sales team for a custom quote today.
info @ sivadppe.com
Resources:
OSHA
https://www.osha.gov/data/commonstats
https://www.osha.gov/safetypays/estimator
SMITHSONIAN
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/history-hard-hat-180974238/
BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD
https://www.brainandspinalcord.org/cost-traumatic-brain-injury/
