On December 11, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced that it will be “replacing traditional hard hats used by its employees with more modern safety helmets.”
The agency cited a 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics Report’s finding that head injuries “account for nearly 6 percent of non-fatal occupational injuries involving days away from work” and that “almost half of those injuries occurred when workers came in contact with an object or equipment while about 20 percent were caused by slips, trips, and falls.” Traditional hard hats “protect the top of a worker’s head but have minimal side impact protection and lack chin straps. Without the straps, traditional hard hats can fall off a worker’s head if they slip or trip, leaving them unprotected.” The agency issued a Safety and Health Information Bulletin detailing the advantages of safety helmets, which may include modern advancements like face shields, hearing protection, communication systems, and better ventilation. The announcement does not change existing regulations and standards concerning personal protective equipment or OSHA’s specific requirements for head protection in a general industry workplace and/or construction setting.
Please contact your Husch Blackwell Workplace Safety and Health attorney with any questions.