Page 40 - OHS, March 2020

HEAD & FACE PROTECTION
UnderstandIing Modern Head Protection
BY AMANDA SMILEY
n 2012, more than 65,000 cases involving days “Hard hats are tested for head protection against away from work occurred due to head injuries in very specific types of penetration and impact, but the workplace. That same year, 1,020 workers died there are also a number of elements—either design el- from head injuries sustained on the job.1 There is ements or features—that manufacturers may offer in
continuing research on the long-term effects of a head injury. A challenge many employers face is not fully understanding a workplace or industry’s risk to work- ers’ heads, and also identifying what kind of head PPE is appropriate and necessary for their employees.
Many people are familiar with the hard hat—may- be because it’s been around a long time and has well- known standards that regulate its use. However, there is growing interest in bump caps and also in climb- ing style helmets. The following interview with James Cooper—3M Global Business Manager for Head & Face Protection—helps clarify some key differences between a hard hat, a bump cap, and a climbing style helmet, as well as the North American standards ap- plicable to these products.
Understanding the differences between various kinds of head protection products available means employers can protect their workers with the best kind of protection. Because climbing style helmets and bump caps are growing in popularity in the head PPE market, alongside hard hats, that has generated a lot of questions about head PPE selection. Cooper helps clarify the differences between products and standards so that safety professionals can make the best PPE choice for their employees.
What is a Hard Hat—Traditionally Speaking?
Hard hats, also known as protective helmets or protec- tive headwear in the standards, come in many shapes, sizes and styles, but one thing is for sure: American and Canadian standards (ANSI Z89.1 and Z94.1 CSA respectively) for Type I or Type II hard hats clearly outline the necessary performance requirements for a hard hat to help reduce the likelihood of injuries to the head from small tools and similar small objects falling on someone.
Type I hard hats, commonly thought of as conven- tional hard hats, are required to withstand a certain amount of vertical penetration force. Likewise, they have to absorb a certain amount of impact force.
Type II expands those impact requirements “to include lateral resistance to penetration on the front, back and sides of the helmet...The two hard hat types (I and II) are different products, and people need to make sure that the hard hat they’ve selected for their job does actually meet the applicable requirements and is marked accordingly,” Cooper said.
But the employer or wearer can have a lot of free- dom choosing what head PPE style elements are best for their work environment.
their hard hat products that might not actually have to do with meeting the standard but do provide comfort, style or convenience when using that type of head protection,” Cooper said.
“For instance, you’ll see hard hats that have brims that run around the helmet. Some may have accessory slots or attachment points built into them,” Cooper said. “There’s good reason to have those features like convenience in keeping rain, or sunlight, or even de- bris off of a worker or out of places that would be an- noying or distracting...I have even seen cowboy hat- shaped hard hats that met the regulations.”
Hard hats are rugged and protective, but they aren’t effective forever. Make sure you inspect your hard hat (per the manufacturer’s instructions) every time you put it on for signs of wear and tear and re- place it as necessary.
“Manufacturers should be providing guidance on the lifespan of the hard hat, based on when it was manufactured...Some of the materials used in hard hats can change over time—especially if they’re ex- posed to UV radiation,” Cooper said. “Hard hats are often molded out of high-density polyethylene or ABS plastics, and those plastics are susceptible to degrad- ing if they’re exposed to a lot of UV radiation such as when worn by a worker who is working outside. Some hard hats provide additional feedback that indicate when a hard hat has been exposed to too much UV.”
What’s the Big Deal with Bump Caps?
Not all situations require hard hats. While bump caps do not meet ANSI or CSA requirements for head pro- tection, they do offer a level convenience for workers who may be at risk of bumping their head on some- thing they are working near while on the job.
Usually designed to look like a traditional baseball cap, bump caps “come in a lot of different shapes and styles, but they usually contain a rigid, plastic shell inside. The purpose is to provide some cushioning. The key difference to remember here is between us- er-generated impacts and object-generated impacts. Bump caps are meant to help protect workers who might bump their head on something they’re working near. A hard hat helps protect against small falling or dropped objects,” Cooper said.
Workers in some industries like “the food indus- try, transportation, and sometimes manufacturing” are particularly good candidates for bump caps, Coo- per said.
Remember that the U.S. and Canada currently do
34 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2020
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