Head: first and foremost
April 1st 2007 Although safety helmets can significantly reduce the risks of death and injury, they need to be both fit for purpose and fit for the wearer, as Dr Jacques Forrest, technical director, Centurion Safety Products, explains Which is the most important part of your body? The head! It houses the brain and is the control centre for sight, hearing and respiration. It is a natural human reaction to guard it from harm. Hearing the dull rumble of tumbling masonry from above, most people will instantly cover their heads with their arms, while making a run for it, if they can! The Health & Safety Executive states that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as head protection should only be used to cope with residual risks that cannot be fully controlled. Before opting for PPE, the hazards and risks of the job concerned must be identified and the principles of risk control applied. Of course, for construction sites and other working environments where falling objects and other hazards are identified as a constant risk, head protection is mandatory. Determining what kind of head protection is required also needs a careful risk analysis and assessment process. Too little protection will leave the wearer vulnerable to injury, while too much may prove an encumbrance for the required tasks, creating a risk of another kind. Selection of PPE is particularly challenging in the modern workplace with its streamlined workforces, where an employee may be asked to perform widely different projects during a day's work, each carrying its own types and levels of risk. Industrial head protection is governed by three European product standards: EN14052 (a very recent publication and as yet there are few, if any, approved products) covers very high performance industrial helmets, protecting off crown impacts and flat blade strikers. EN397 covers industrial safety helmets and is mainly designed to protect the upper part of the wearer's head from falling objects. EN812 deals with bump caps and lightweight head protection, which only protect the head from bumps or scrapes and not serious hazards such as falling or thrown objects. Industrial safety helmets have a number of additional performance variations, including temperature resistance, electric insulation and added side strength; some have reduced peaks for increased upward visibility. Helmets may also be combined with ear defenders and visors, some of which are integrated. Given the increased roles that an employee may face in the workplace, these are among the options covered within EN397 that should be considered when selecting a helmet: Does it offer protection against molten metal splash? Does it incorporate enhanced protection such as side, nape and off centre impact? Is it tolerant to extreme low temperatures (-30ºC to - 40ºC), making it suitable for usage in refrigeration units? Does it provide protection against electric shock (440V AC)? The Eurostat statistics show that in 1999 there were 445 091 head-related accidents, resulting in 1492 fatalities. HSE statistics show that in 2005/06 there were 837 major injuries in manufacturing and 572 in the construction industry caused by moving, flying or falling objects in the United Kingdom, with 12 and 7 fatalities resulting from these causes respectively (none of the fatalities were wearing safety helmets). The wearing of a safety helmet will reduce, but not eliminate, the likelihood of head injury. There are limits to the amount of protection that can be provided. For example, no safety helmet would be likely to save a person from a 50kg precast concrete beam falling on them from four storeys up! Although safety helmets can significantly reduce the risks of death and injury, they need to be both fit for purpose and fit for the wearer. Selection criteria therefore need to be based on both safety and comfort, because a worker who is distracted can endanger both themselves and their colleagues. Care should be taken with adjustment, because too tight a fit can be uncomfortable, while a helmet that is too loose will not provide adequate protection. The headband at the front of the helmet should be about one finger's width above the eyebrow, while the headband at the back of the helmet should be adjusted for comfort and security. Also, the more it is worn, the more comfortable the helmet should become for its wearer. While the importance of head protection in the workplace is generally accepted, there is still widespread unwillingness to spend money on safety helmets costing approximately £5-6, even though there seems to be no problem in paying £60 or more for working boots or shoes. Unfortunately, concerns for personal appearance can sometimes outweigh the requirements of safety. There is still some way to go before we get our priorities right! More articles from Centurion Safety Products Ltd: | 
