Safety helmets and hard hats have been protecting people in one form or another for thousands of years. From their humble beginnings as battle armour in 2500BC, to today where their use is much more widespread, they have stood the test of time.
We’ve all seen the headlines about head injuries in sport: football players heading the ball, rugby players, boxing head injuries, all leading to potentially severe cases and long-term issues. But many people face the risk of head injury at work, as well as in play. Some face the risk more than others, like those who work within the construction industry, facilities management, and utilities sectors.
Head protection accounts for only 3% of personal protective equipment (PPE) purchases, yet it accounts for more than 20% of injuries. Ensuring head protection is worn and cared for correctly is key to remaining safe at work. It’s important that workers issued with head protection understand about hard hat storage, hard hat use, inspection, and the lifespan of helmets.
There’s an evolving range of head protection products for those considering the impact of brain injury. Traditional industrial safety helmets are well known, but there are modern “climbing” style helmets for those working at height, bump caps to protect against falling objects and products incorporating the latest technology, MIPS.
Hard Hat Awareness Week began on the 13th of June. It’s an annual event introduced to drive awareness of brain injury through activities designed to encourage best practices around safety equipment. At Tower we support this awareness campaign. As the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) say, ‘anyone can sell safety, but you shouldn’t buy safety from just anyone!’.
Contact the Tower team on 01202 718000 for advice and support on head protection in the workplace. We help you understand how to look after PPE, and which products you might need.
