Hardhats Versus Helmets

There have been some interesting conversations on-line surrounding the emerging debate of hard hats versus helmets. It’s been interesting to read because many of the comments have surprised me. I have been directly involved in transitioning a large group of people over to construction helmets and have assisted and watched several other groups with their transition. Most of the feedback I received focused on fit, comfort, the different look, no brim, etc. These were all fairly easy issues to handle, with time taking care of most of them, and proper helmet and accessory selection taking care of the rest.

What’s been interesting to read about on-line are some of the comments that I have not personally received or even thought about. The on-line discussions reach a much broader audience than just a single company, trade, or region, so it's not surprising to end up with a more diverse set of opinions. The most surprising comment I have seen surrounding this debate is that we shouldn’t need either, and that relying on PPE such as a hard hat or helmet ignores the broader issue. Others believe that in many phases and types of construction, there are no hazards that should mandate head protection anyway, so we shouldn’t be required to wear anything.

Surprisingly enough, I am no stranger to this line of reasoning. In fact, I have made similar statements myself in the distant past. And more recently, I have been spending time on many residential construction sites where I am the only one in a hardhat (or helmet). For my part, I spent years managing a civil construction company with the majority of work being large public street improvement projects. Back then (it was many years ago) I did tend to take the attitude that I had no overhead hazards on my sites, and that a hardhat was going to be of no use if a car hit me in a work zone. The only trade I had on my jobs that wore hardhats was the traffic signal contractor, who always wore them. Their safety manager was the one who introduced me to the concept of hardhats being more than just protection from falling objects…they were a constant reminder to work safe.

I took this to heart, but honestly didn’t do much with it, until I transitioned into vertical construction. This transition vastly affected my views and approach on safety management. In my younger days, my projects were mostly horizontal, and even when I had multiple trades on the site, we rarely worked stacked up on each other. We each tended to control our own work areas, and with only a small handful of trades on site, I easily controlled the activities. Other than some close calls with traffic, I don’t recall any injuries on my sites.

Vertical construction was vastly different. Trades were stacked up on each other both figuratively and literally. I realized that even though an individual trade may be very good at training their employees to stay safe and protected while they perform their work, they don’t necessarily focus on hazards they may be creating for the other trades and people working around them: next to, above, and below. The work is also much more people intensive, whereas in horizontal construction it was more equipment intensive.

So how does this all relate to the helmet versus hardhat debate? And how do we address those that rightly point out that PPE is supposed to be the last line of defense in our hierarchy of controls? And is there any validity to that concept of hardhats reminding everyone to work safe?

As I mentioned, I have been spending more time on some residential construction projects lately. The visual on a typical production single family home project is vastly different than on a commercial project. No one in hardhats, or vests, or safety glasses, or boots. I stick out when I walk on wearing PPE. So, the question is, is my personal PPE needed, or should I look like everyone else because there are no hazards present that necessitate PPE?

Is my personal PPE needed, or should I look like everyone else because there are no hazards present that necessitate PPE?

One thing is for sure: people see me and instantly check what they are doing. Some climb down off of the precarious platform on which they are working without any fall protection. Others go find a hard hat. A few quickly un-tie the guard they disabled on their nail gun or skill saw. This is all without me saying a word. So does wearing a hardhat, and other PPE, remind people to work safe? I’m going with a YES on this one.

But should it be required? Are we ignoring the importance of eliminating some hazards and jumping straight to PPE?

Examining the hazards on any typical construction site, I don’t think so. There are too many trades working in one area to believe that we are going to completely eliminate all hazards. We wear boots because the walking and working surfaces on even the best construction sites vary from area to area and day to day. We wear hi-vis clothing because it helps equipment operators see us as we share the same space on a job site. And we wear hard hats because there are always overhead hazards that are not completely in our control. Yes, we need to continue to push for tool tethers, toe boards, and debris nets, but again, when you walk around a construction site you are potentially exposed to hazards created by other trades that don’t even know you are there. Even when extensive steps are taken it would be foolish to believe that all hazards, or potential hazards, have been eliminated. Hardhats are the last line of defense, and I will be glad I am wearing one if someone accidentally drops a wrench from above.

So why switch to helmets when hardhats seem to be doing the job?

I believe the new construction helmets offer 2 distinct advantages. One is simply that they are built better. They are a modern version of a piece of construction equipment that hasn’t changed in decades. I like to compare it to football helmets or the helmets soldiers wear. Look at what they were wearing 40 years ago, and it looks substantially different today. Ours look the same.

Once again, we really don’t like change in construction.

Other groups that have always used some form of head protection have matured and evolved, and this brings me to the second advantage of the new helmets. They identified additional mechanisms for head injuries and began designing helmets that would provide protection from things that their old helmets would not. This is where we are in the construction industry.

In construction we have people that suffer from more than just the occasional dropped tool from above. We bump our heads all the time (I know I am not alone on this), and not always directly on the top of our heads where we get protection from the hardhat. Our hardhats frequently fall off (wind, bending over, etc). And we have frequent falls. Falls from ladders and simple slip and fall incidents where one of the main injuries is hitting our head.

That last one is a big one, and hardhats do nothing to protect us from these types of head injuries. Yes, I can add a chin strap to a hard hat, but all that does is keep that hardhat on. That hardhat is not designed to provide any protection during a fall where our head hits the ground or a wall. Many of the new helmets are designed to do exactly that. In fact the current ANSI standard for hard hats doesn’t even really address this mode of protection. Yes, Type II hardhats are designed to protect against side impact, but that’s an impact from something hitting you in the head from an angle instead of from directly overhead. It is not the same as hitting your head during a fall. It’s why many helmet manufacturers test and certify their helmets to EU standards for helmets meant to protect climbers during a fall.

Head protection is critical for everyone on a construction site. It is a last line of defense, like all PPE, but when its needed it is a critical component in making sure we go home uninsured at the end of the day. I also believe that wearing personal PPE is a reminder to everyone to work safe, and that’s always important. Construction Helmets represent the future. Yes, they look different. Yes, the chinstrap is a bit annoying. Yes, they protect us from a broader range of potential injuries than our old hardhats.

Are you considering changing from hardhats to construction helmets? Here is a great resource that contains more information: www.hardhatstohelmets.org