On December 11, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it’s replacing the traditional hard hats its employees use with modern safety helmets to better protect them when they’re at inspection sites.

Traditional hard hats, dating from the 1960s, protect the top of a worker's head but offer minimal side impact protection and lack chin straps, according to the agency. Without the chin straps, traditional hard hats can fall off workers’ heads if they slip or trip, leaving them unprotected. Safety helmets include a chin strap that, when worn properly, maintains the position of the safety helmet in the event of a slip, trip, or fall.

Traditional hard hats also lack vents, trapping heat inside.

In 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that head injuries accounted for nearly 6 percent of nonfatal occupational injuries involving days away from work. Almost half of those injuries occurred when workers came in contact with equipment or an object; about 20 percent were caused by slips, trips, and falls.

The agency published a Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) on November 22, detailing the key differences between traditional hard hats and more modern safety helmets and the advancements in design, materials, and other features that help better protect workers' entire heads.

Safety helmets incorporate a combination of materials, including lightweight composites, fiberglass, and advanced thermoplastics, according to the SHIB, while hard hats are made of hard plastics.

Modern safety helmets may offer face shields or goggles to protect against projectiles, dust, and chemical splashes. Others offer built-in hearing protection and/or communication systems to enable clear communication in noisy environments.

In the SHIB, the agency recommended several uses for safety helmets, including:

• Construction sites: For construction sites, especially those with high risks of falling objects and debris; impacts from equipment; or slips, trips, and falls, safety helmets have enhanced impact resistance and additional features that offer superior protection compared with the components and construction of traditional hard hats.
• Oil and gas industry: In these sectors, where workers face multiple hazards, including potential exposure to chemicals and severe impacts, safety helmets with additional features can provide comprehensive protection.
• Working from heights: For tasks or jobs that involve working from heights, safety helmets offer protection of the entire head and include features that prevent the safety helmet from falling off.
• Electrical work: For tasks involving electrical work or proximity to electrical hazards, safety helmets with nonconductive materials (Class G and Class E) provide protection to prevent electrical shocks. However, some traditional hard hats also offer electrical protection.
• High-temperature environments: In high temperatures or where there’s exposure to molten materials, safety helmets with advanced heat-resistant properties can provide additional protection to workers.
• Specialized work environments: Jobs that require integrated face shields, hearing protection, or communication devices benefit from safety helmets designed with these features or the ability to add them onto the helmets.
• Specific regulatory requirements: Where safety helmets are mandated by regulations or industry standards, employers must comply with these requirements to ensure worker safety compliance.
• Low-risk environments: Even in settings with no overhead hazards, safety helmets will provide comprehensive protection, especially where the risks can become more severe.