Getting head protection right in UK construction

The prevalence of safety helmets on UK construction sites is, of course, a good thing. But the fact is that standard issue hard hats are so uncomfortable that many operatives may be tempted to take them off, causing very real safety concerns. That’s the message from global safety company MSA Safety's sales manager Jim Cliff.

His argument is that it took a lot of hard work for the use of hard hats to become the industry norm and that it is easy to forget what a recent phenomenon that is. “It's hard to think of construction workers without hard hats, but they haven’t always been as ubiquitous as they are today,” he says.

“Before Joseph Strauss insisted on them being worn during construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, they were largely optional. Workers died at a rate of one per every million dollars spent on construction in the US. Thankfully, due to improved technologies and the introduction of extensive standards, hard hats are much more sophisticated and largely mandatory across the UK.”

Worker injuries

However, the sad fact remains that head injuries still occur on UK construction sites. In the UK, according to RIDDOR statistics (published on 30 October by the Health and Safety Executive), being struck on the head by moving, flying or falling objects accounted for 13 per cent of worker deaths from 2014-19, and 10 per cent of all non-fatal injuries in 2019.

"You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes that didn’t fit. The hard hat a worker wears on site for seven or eight hours a day is no different"

In 2017 Eurostat (Directorate-General of the European Commission, providing statistical information to institutions of the European Union) reported that head injuries accounted for over 22 per cent of all fatal accidents and 6.5 per cent of non-fatal injuries at work across the EU’s 28 member states.

The main reason for the injuries (and worse) is that operatives are still likely to take off their hard hats if they are feeling uncomfortable. “A construction worker’s job can be demanding enough without having to worry about what’s protecting their head, but if the hard hat they’re wearing is ill-fitting, bulky, heavy or poorly balanced, then they’ll probably do just that – worry,” says Cliff.

“Or worse, they won’t wear it. A worker wearing a comfortable hard hat – one that’s balanced, fits properly, and works well with accessories – is free to concentrate on the job at hand and, crucially, more likely to keep it on all day.”

“You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes that didn’t quite fit,” he continues. “They would pinch your feet and hurt, perhaps hamper the way you walk and likely make you a little miserable. The hard hat a worker wears on a construction site for upwards of seven or eight hours a day is no different. It’s down to us as manufacturers to develop great head protection that people want to wear.”

The right fit

However, the importance of well-fitting hard hats isn’t just about safety, according to Cliff. Rather, it can also have an appreciable influence on workforce happiness, which in turn has an impact on the work that they do. “From a business perspective, comfortable heads also contribute to a workforce’s general happiness and wellbeing, thus unlocking all sorts of benefits for workers and importantly, the business,” he says.

"Construction work comes with associated hazards and requires physical exertion and mental aptitude"

As recent studies have demonstrated, a happy workforce also tends to be a more productive workforce, which given the UK economy’s low productivity rates – something that is particularly problematic in the construction industry – is something that requires consideration. “Construction work comes with associated hazards and requires both physical exertion and mental aptitude,” says Cliff.

“That is why hard hats need to be adapted to the workers’ task, his or her working environment, fit comfortably, work seamlessly, and provide the highest level of safety. If it doesn’t, it can impact workers’ confidence. A more confident operative typically makes for a happier, more productive worker. Forbes even suggests that a happier employee can be up to 20 per cent more productive.”

As well as safety considerations, a comfier hard hat should increase workers' productivity

For that reason, Cliff concludes, construction bosses are always trying to find ways to boost productivity – and investing in hard hats that provide comfort as well as safety is a sound option. “Lots of things can contribute to a worker’s happiness on site, of course, but just like those shoes that don’t quite fit, an uncomfortable hard hat can bring the mood of your workforce down,” he says.

“Delivering projects on time and in budget is a constant challenge and dependent on many different factors. It’s why, understandably, safety and project managers are constantly on the lookout for anything that can make their project run more efficiently. Well, the hard hats your workers wear can help,” he finishes.

For more information, please visit gb.msasafety.com/head-protection