- Some 25,684 worker fatalities occurred in the U.S. construction industry from 2017 to 2021 with an estimated 16% (4,109) of those fatalities occurring because of a fall to the same level or a lower level and 4% (1,079) occurring from injuries to the head.
- Hard hats may not adequately protect from side or lateral impacts and may be provided and used incorrectly without a chin strap. Participation in professional or recreational sports may result in sustaining head injuries such as traumatic brain injuries or fatalities.
- Military helmets have been used for more than 4,500 years; they have been the design source for patented head protection at least since the 1920s. Safety helmets have been designed with increased head protection as well as a chin strap to protect the head from lateral and vertical impacts and to secure the helmet to the head in case of a fall.
- Advancements especially for military, cyclist, auto racing and football helmets in recent years show improvements in head protection that could be applied to hard hats and helmets. Inspection, maintenance and user instruction are critical components of head protection gear.
Historical industrial use of helmets can be traced to Polish salt mines in the early 1500s. Workers needed protection from salt blocks tumbling down from above their heads (Hanik, 1988). In addition, Cornish tin and copper miners wore hats made of leather or felt hardened with resin to protect the worker’s head (Simpson, 1996). These early helmets also helped create today’s standards for head protection.
E.D. Bullard Co. received a trademark for the hard-boiled hat in 1926; the company applied for a patent for a hat crown in 1927 that was granted in early 1929. Bullard’s application noted that this hat crown consisted of steamed canvas, a leather brim, glue and black paint (Bullard, 1929). The invention was inspired by the helmets soldiers wore into battle during World War I. Widespread use of the hard hat began in 1931 with the construction of the Hoover Dam (Snell, 2018).
The first use of chin straps to secure the helmet from falling off the wearer’s head was cited by Simpson (1996): “In battle, Homer’s aristocratic tribal leaders wore bronze helmets, plumed with horsehair and secured with a leather chin strap.” Helmets then became the standard for Roman soldiers around 400 BC, usually made from iron plates.
