Between 2021 and 2022, U.S. workers suffered a reported 155,830 head injuries on the job that resulted in days away from work, restricted activity or a job transfer, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The alarming figures were the catalyst behind a recent study by Neenah, Wisconsin-based business safety consultant firm J.J. Keller & Associates Inc. and the International Safety Equipment Association, which uncovered troubling levels of confusion and misunderstanding regarding head protection equipment, including hard hats and safety helmets.
“Such misconceptions pose a significant danger, contributing to improper use and, consequently, an increased risk of injuries and fatalities in the workplace,” said Cam Mackey, president and CEO of ISEA, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
The study looked at many factors, such as comfort and fit, enforcement challenges and heat-related concerns, which have been more prevalent in recent years due to record-breaking temperatures that cause many workers to remove their protection while on the job.
“This disconnect often arises from variations in the strictness of employers’ PPE programs, inconsistencies between state and federal OSHA standards and differing PPE requirements among owners, contractors and subcontractors,” said Ray Qureshi-Chishti, senior editor with J. J. Keller.
Other factor, like complacency or a lack of clear information contribute to the confusion, which contributes to the gap between perception of knowledge and actual understanding, Qureshi-Chishti said.
ISEA’s main concern is that workers will use the wrong type of head protection and suffer an injury or fatality.
“One of the biggest scary stats surrounding all this is that when there is a fatal head injury on the job, 80% of the time it’s because a worker wasn’t wearing any head protection at all,” Mackey said. “The biggest thing we want to get across is the importance of wearing head protection and figuring out what the right one is.”
ISEA realized there was a great deal of confusion going on in different sectors and different industries, such as manufacturing, transportation, utilities and mining.
“We realized this is a big deal and the stakes are high,” Mackey said. “These are potential life-and-death decisions.”
Misunderstandings abound
The study found that although 72% of respondents believed they understood the differences in head protection types, there were significant misconceptions.
For instance, 59% of study respondents incorrectly thought that safety helmets offer more protection than hard hats, and 80% believed that only helmet-style protection could provide impact resistance on all sides.
In reality, the kind of protection head gear offers varies by equipment.
Another big misunderstanding that ISEA discovered was an assumption that head protection is a one-size-fits-all solution, where simply by looking at it, one understood the type of safety it would provide.
“Probably 10 to 15 years ago, that was true; you could look at a piece of head protection and more or less get that right,” Mackey said. “The reality is that we live in a very different age now where you have to read the label. That label will tell you if this will protect you against 20,000 volts or not, or if it will provide protection or comfort if it’s hot out. That was the biggest confusion area we wanted to provide some content on.”
Though it may be more complicated now, the fact that there’s more choices improves the head protection game considerably.
“You can pick from a hard hat to a climbing-style helmet, and either of those could have protection on the top of the head or side of the head, and there are optional chin straps and other options, so that’s all super exciting,” Mackey said. “It just creates a greater burden on the consumer — as well as the safety professional — to know what they need to buy at the job at hand.”
For instance, on a construction site, not every job requires the same level of hazard mitigation. Some workers may need a hard hat that provides just top-of-the-head protection while others need something much more robust.
So, ISEA set out to call out the pain points and areas of misunderstanding and come up with solutions to educate workers and their employers on making the right choice.
Dispelling misinformation
To navigate these challenges, ISEA has launched a comprehensive online resource with hopes of curtailing any misinformation and offering important guidance on head gear standards. Created with the American Society of Safety Professionals, the site takes a fact vs. fiction or myth-busting approach.
“If safety professionals are challenged to understand all these standards and regulations, it’s even tougher for workers,” Mackey said.
An ongoing dialogue will also lead to better comfort and fit for those wearing the head protection, because there are plenty of options out there — different brands, styles and materials — and that will increase the likelihood that workers will wear head protection and wear the right type.
“Change is a wonderful thing and is giving us more choices every day in head protection,” Mackey said.