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Head Protection in Hot Weather: Staying Safe While Keeping Cool
OSHA encourages workers to drink water every 15 minutes and take frequent rest breaks in the shade to cool off. For employers, OSHA emphasizes the need to maintain an effective emergency plan for when a worker shows signs of heat-related illness. This includes training workers on the hazards of heat exposure and how to prevent illness and allowing workers to gradually build up a tolerance for working in heat.
Furthermore, organizations are proactively looking at adopting PPE that can help increase worker comfort in extreme heat while enabling workers to acclimate, going above and beyond the basic heat stress mitigation requirements of shade, water, and rest.
How PPE Can Help Keep Workers Cool
On a hot day, the last thing a worker wants to do is wear a safety helmet, or frankly any PPE that will increase discomfort in the heat. But the reality is that construction sites are dangerous places, and head protection is a requirement, even on the hottest of days. In fact, from 2015 to 2019, slips, trips, and falls were the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry and accounted for 37.9 percent of all fatalities, according to the BLS. Heat can exacerbate slips, trips, and falls, as workers can become disoriented in the heat due to heat stress, making helmet compliance even more important. According to Williams College researchers, accident rates significantly increase from heat shocks. A different study found that heat stress can negatively impact cognitive performance.
Furthermore, in hot weather, a traditional hard hat can create its own microclimate within. Without venting, there is nowhere for the hot air to escape, making the interior feel hotter than the actual temperature outdoors–this is especially a challenge for those required to wear Class E helmets that are not allowed to have vents, primarily those who work around electrical and other high-voltage equipment.
On top of this, factors such as helmet color and material makeup can add to the perceived heat. So, how can alternative PPE options help keep workers cool while protecting their cognitive functions?
Vented Helmets
For industrial trades, vented helmets are a great way to help keep cool, and with the advent of Type II safety helmets now quickly replacing the traditional hard hat, workers have more and better options. They can wear safer Type II helmets that are also much cooler to wear in the heat in comparison to traditional Type I hard hats.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.