Seasonal outdoor heat stress remains a significant occupational hazard, particularly for workers in road construction or working at height, agriculture, and oil and gas well operations.¹ In fact, according to OSHA, “heat is the leading cause of death among all hazardous weather conditions in the United States.” In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that “there were 33,890 estimated work-related heat injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work from 2011-2020, an average of 3,389 per year in that time period.”²

Head protection PPE designed with innovative materials and features to help mitigate heat stress can help keep workers safe and comfortable. Some of the latest hard hat and safety helmet materials and design features to consider for outdoor heat stress include:

Thermal Barrier Technology: A thermal barrier is one of the newest technologies in head protection PPE to help manage worker heat stress in outdoor, sunny conditions. The major benefit is that it can help to keep the inside of a hard hat cooler than those without this technology by reflecting infrared energy from the sun away from the wearer’s head, similar to the way a reflective screen in a car windshield or reflective liner in a home attic function. The V-Gard C1® Hard Hat features a patented ReflectIR™ Thermal Barrier technology, which helps keep the inside of the hard hat up to 20°F cooler compared to those hard hats without.

Evaporative Cooling Fabric: Cooling PPE, such as crown coolers or neck shades, are typically worn underneath a hard hat or safety helmet. The evaporative cooling fabric absorbs and releases water within the multi-layered material to help provide hours of cooling relief. V-Gard® Cooling Pads feature HyperKewl™ fabric, helping to cool 11°F – 21°F lower than the outside temperature and 50+ UPF. Simply soak the crown cooler or neck shade briefly in cool tap water prior to use for 5 – 10 hours of cooling relief.

Ventilation and Airflow: Hard hats and safety helmets with strategically placed large vents can help to increase wearer comfort by optimizing airflow and increasing comfort, to help further reduce heat stress. The V-Gard C1 Hard Hat features the largest vents MSA offers on a hard hat. An important note is that vented hard hats and safety helmets do not meet Class E certification; look for non-vented options to meet requirements for electrical work.

Moisture-Wicking Sweatbands: Sweat accumulation can exacerbate heat stress and worker discomfort; moisture-wicking sweatbands can help manage perspiration. Look for a hard hat or safety helmet with a premium moisture-wicking sweatband made with breathable foam padding, providing additional comfort and sweat management. Sweatbands can be easily removed for laundering or replaced to help maintain hygiene.

Full Brim Design: A full brim hard hat can offer additional shade and sun protection, helping to reduce direct exposure to sunlight. V-Gard C1 Hard Hats feature a full brim that is 12% larger than the brim on other MSA head protection solutions, to help provide additional shade; the brim is also textured for added grip when donning and doffing the hard hat.

When choosing head protection, an important first step is to conduct a hazard assessment to determine the hazards and risks associated with a particular jobsite and application. Seasonal, outdoor  heat stress may be identified as a top concern, in which case PPE solutions with some of the materials and design features outlined above may help to mitigate the risk of heat stress and help keep workers safe and comfortable.

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Sources:

1. https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure
2. https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/rulemaking