The Definitive Guide of Safety Helmets

The history of the safety helmet

When construction workers were constructing the golden gate bridge in 1933, they became aware of the risk of falling rivets hitting the head. At this point, they quickly opted to wear a safety helmet to help protect them.

At the time they were made of aluminium, which in 1938 became the standard with exception of those in electrical applications. A few years later in 1940, aluminium was swapped with fibreglass as the most popular material, as it was more adaptable and usable.

Nowadays most head protection is made from thermoplastic, which is easy to mould and shape using heat. Because of this, the use of coloured plastics is becoming more useful, to learn more about that scroll down to “Colour Scheme”.

How does a safety helmet protect your head?

Most head protection is designed with a solid plastic exterior, a padded foam or harness interior to keep the head away from the plastic exterior. This inner foam/harness allows for the absorption of kinetic energy through an impact. Some head protection is designed with a chin strap to help secure the safety helmet to the head.

Other features can include sweatbands, chin strap padding, detachable visors and much more.

Why not wearing a safety helmet is dangerous!

A safety helmets core function is to reduce the impact of falling objects.HSE mention a story of a 61-year-old worker who wasn’t wearing the correct safety helmet. This led to a serious injury. See the quote below.

A 61-year-old worker suffered severe brain and spinal injuries after a 14ft fixed box pillar he was removing fell on his head. The worker was not wearing a safety helmet. He was in the hospital for more than 6 months and is now permanently disabled and has difficulty speaking and moving. He is unable to work and requires full-time care due to the severity of his head injuries. The incident could very well have led to his death. The company was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £6808.

Colour scheme

A colour scheme has come to be considered as the norm throughout the workplace. Safety helmets also adopt a general colour scheme on-site in the UK.

• Black = Supervisors

• White = Site Manager

• Orange = Signaller

• Blue = Staff/Visitors

• Yellow = Used by many

Yellow is the standard colour when it comes to safety helmets, often the easiest to find and most commonly used. Whereas orange is a popular colour amongst the railway community as they do not adopt the above scheme. The railway community has their own colour scheme, as do many other workplaces.

Care & maintenance

Maintaining your safety helmet is vital in both ensuring effectiveness and cleanliness. Like most companies sharing PPE is commonplace, sharing a safety helmet is no different. When sharing safety helmets cleanliness’s is vastly important to stop the spread of bacteria.

Here are some quick ways to ensure you are for maintaining your safety helmet.

• Use soap and water or antibacterial wipes to keep the helmet clean.

• Check for scuffs & abrasions regularly ensuring a replacement is made once found.

• At a minimum, your safety helmet should be replaced every five years.

• Keep your safety helmet out of direct sunlight and avoid temperature changes.

• In the event of an impact, the safety helmet will need to be replaced without delay. This helmet can have seriously damage that is not visible and should not be re-used.

4 qualities of a good safety helmet

Comfortable Fit

Having a safety helmet that moves around is a safety issue, and it will also cause frustration for your workers. Safety helmets have come a long way, and with increased innovation and the use of composite materials, they are now more comfortable than ever. When selecting a safety helmet, be sure to pay attention to the webbing which is built into the suspension as this helps to ensure a secure fit. If your workers will be working long hours, the safety helmet should also have plenty of padding and air vents to ensure comfort and breathability.

Composite Materials

Some safety helmets are heavier than others, and they may be designed for specific tasks. The vast majority of safety helmets on the market today are made from composite materials and ABS plastics, which offers exceptional durability and impact protection whilst also being lightweight. Instead of falling into the trap of believing heavier safety helmets will offer better protection, you should look for a safety helmet such as this.

Adjustability

Every individual has a different head shape, and there is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to safety helmets. Make sure you choose a safety helmet that offers the ability to adjust both size and position. Padding around the forehead also helps, along with ratchet harnesses and absorbent materials.

Customisation and Colours

High-vis colours are always a good idea, helping to improve visibility on site. Many safety helmets also incorporate features that allow for customisation, for example, the addition of face and/or hearing protection which can simply be slotted on. This makes it much easier for your workers to customise their safety helmets according to the task at hand.

We are a Safety Helmets supplier, please feel free to contact us if you need them!