North Carolina State University, the Job-Site Safety Institute and Comer Construction, Forest Hill, Md., are partnering for a pilot program to evaluate the “practical considerations, effectiveness and feasibility of implementing Type II helmets on job sites,” according to Construction Dive.
The program’s goal is to better understand how to transition from traditional hard hats to Type II safety helmets, which industry stakeholders say better protect workers’ heads. Type II helmets have a chin strap and aim to protect a worker from falls or struck-by incidents that contact the top or sides of their heads. Type I helmets do not have a strap and protect just the top of the head. Research from Virginia Tech indicates Type II helmets can more effectively protect workers from severe injury.
The Job-Site Safety Institute’s grant to North Carolina State University is an extension of previous funding for research that examined construction workers’ awareness of the differences between various personal protective equipment headwear; the study found workers generally were unaware of the difference between Type I and Type II safety helmets.
Although the study shows workers were willing to switch to Type II once they understood the protection it offered, there were concerns about cost; Erik Anderson, board chair of the Job-Site Safety Institute, said construction companies typically can buy traditional hard hats for about $15 while Type II helmets often cost more than $100.
Susie Comer, president of Comer Construction, said the higher cost was worth it because of the increased safety benefits.
The goal of the program is to reach smaller firms that have fewer resources for safety practices and provide an example for how to transition from traditional hard hats to Type II helmets.
