An Unlikely Alliance

The construction industry faces a pervasive problem: work-related head injuries. In fact, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are responsible for 25% of all fatalities on construction sites. Yet for decades, workers have relied on old-fashioned hardhats which, though widely used, are less desirable than helmets for several different reasons: they fall off easily, restrict movement, and only protect against direct penetration and impact from falling objects. As construction industry representatives explained at a recent coalition meeting, these hardhats represent an outmoded technology.

Change often starts with a single person, company or industry demonstrating leadership. Hardhats to Helmets (H2H) began when a company, Structural Technologies (ST), decided to invest in the safety of its workers by requiring new, modern helmets for all its employees and subcontractors. Structural Technologies understands, through experience, the life altering effects of serious traumatic brain injuries. One of their employees suffered a very serious traumatic brain injury that severely limited his ability to function, in all aspects of life. The injury has greatly impacted the employee, his family, and his friends, as well as a much wider universe of business and social acquaintances. Since then, Structural Technologies has been on a crusade to ensure this type of injury can be minimized or eliminated for all those who work in the construction industry.

Structural Technologies, working with their trade association, the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC), worked to create a coalition and movement that seeks to create buy-in for a new way of protecting construction workers everywhere. They argue that state-of-the-art helmets, with chin straps and protective linings, must become a readily available, industry-wide standard, and H2H is spreading the message and leading the charge.

Why are the new helmets safer?

First, they have chin straps that keep them from coming off, even during falls.

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Current hardhats fall off easily and often, even during the performance of basic activities. Lanyards are not worn to protect the falling worker, but rather the workers below, who might be injured by the falling hat.

Additionally, as Scott Greenhaus, a senior executive with ST, explained at the recent meeting of the new Construction Leadership Council, an Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) liner protects the wearer from impacts, not only at the crown of the helmet, but from all directions. The helmet contains a compressible foam structure that absorbs the force of an impact before it reaches the head.

These new helmets are not impositions. They are easily adjustable, and multiple studies have shown that they are generally not hotter and may even be cooler than traditional hardhats.

In short, there is no reason to delay making the change.

Support within the industry has been remarkably steady, and wholly voluntary, as more and more companies have demanded that their workers wear these life-saving helmets. Now, the biggest hurdle is getting Washington agencies to take notice. The coalition members are actively working with OSHA and NIOSH to embrace a new culture of safety.

Yet the wheels of the government turn slowly, and good ideas are often hard to implement. Interestingly, this is a case of a group of companies wanting higher workplace safety standards. As is often the case in Washington, the two related agencies have not agreed upon a common standard. Our Construction Leadership Council has agreed to help get the message out: safer helmets already exist and exceed current government standards. Why cling to a model that is more than sixty years old, when athletes such as bicyclists and mountain climbers have long since embraced forward-thinking technologies? The danger of Traumatic Brain Injury in football has been widely reported and addressed. It is time to offer the same protection to workers in high-risk jobs.

This movement is not limited to the United States. Across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia, governments have already made a change, either adhering to the safety standards of the United Kingdom and the European Union or implementing similar measures.

As the leaders of the ASCC explained to our Council members this summer, the US-based industry and its safety regulators at the US Department of Labor must join those around the world. Yes, the new helmets are currently more expensive than the durable plastic hardhats in common use now, but the experts say the market will likely adapt. Innovation, competition, and widespread adoption of the helmets will drive a reduction in cost. Injuries are costly for both employers and insurers.

This initiative is only one part of a broader push for safety within the industry. In recent years, significant progress has been made on many fronts, and the annual Construction Safety Week helps to highlight the progress and motivate industry members to go further in advancing safety. Large and small firms alike understand that a focus on safety drives innovation and puts workers first. Congress does not need to pass a new law; regulators at the Department of Labor – where I served in the Bush 43 Administration, can seize the moment, and make this technology the standard on all job sites.

Concrete contractors and a growing list of companies and associations across the construction and design industries are leading the charge. Early protective helmets of canvas and leather once gave way to fiberglass, which gave way to the standard V-Gard helmets of today. Now that the age of the traditional hardhat is evolving, it is time to embrace a new standard in safety.

With the help of the general contractors and subcontractors, owners, government agencies such as OSHA, and members of the media, this business-led grassroots effort can protect people’s healthy brains and help save lives.

Jack Kalavritinos is the Executive Director of the Construction Leadership Council.