Head protection solutions: are you getting the maximum benefits out of your head protection?

According to RIDDOR statistics, being struck on the head by moving, flying or falling objects accounted for 13% of worker deaths from 2014–19, and 10% of non-fatal injuries in 2019. Taking this into account, head protection is essential — but helping to keep workers safe is about more than just physical kit and meeting compliance.

Head injury risks remain ever-present

Despite this, even on a well-run, modern-day construction site, head injuries can still happen. Falling objects or electrical shocks, for instance, can do significant damage if a worker fails to wear their hard hat, is wearing a hard hat not suited to the task or work environment, or experiences an ultrahazardous or abnormally dangerous impact.

Head protection and different environments

Many different sectors require head protection. The most important prerequisite for selecting equipment is fitness for purpose in the working environment. This starts with examining a worker’s role and assessing the environment’s specific risks. Some common factors to consider include:

Workers permanently exposed to risks e.g. construction workers, machine operators, miners, warehouse clerks, etc. These employees will wear the appropriate protection permanently and will be in their hard hats for long periods (typically a full shift — 8 hours or more). Comfort is a key criterion of choice in this case, and each helmet is an individually assigned piece of equipment.

Hard hats can be the most neglected PPE. They are often mistreated on construction sites, thrown in the back of a vehicle, or left in direct sunlight on the windshield.

Worker comfort is an ongoing concern for safety managers whose workers are on the front line, dealing directly with situations where they could get hurt or even sustain a fatal injury. Since workers may be wearing a hard hat for eight hours every day, it’s no surprise that comfort and weight are major priorities. Battling headaches and sweating is not conducive to safe working. Yet hat weight does not dictate comfort. Rather, it’s the quality of the hard hat suspension and adjustment mechanisms that helps to balance the helmet on the head. This in turn helps to maintain stability while aiding airflow and making it easier to adjust while wearing gloves. Overhead fabric straps, for example, provide a better fitting product compared to a cheaper, lighter weight hat that relies on plastic strap fixings.

With a good balanced fit, easy adjustment and ventilation when relevant, workers can be at ease wearing head protection all day, leaving them free to concentrate on the job in hand.

Selecting the right head protection for the right application

Choosing a well-designed, good-fitting, durable and stylish hard hat offers several benefits. When a worker is comfortable, they will likely be happier and more confident, thus helping them to better focus on the task at hand. This contributes to an efficient more results-focused workforce.

DESIGN

The unmistakable V-Gard “V” has a very important role in its performance.

The iconic “V” gives the hard hat a unique profile which enables it to deflect objects and provide added protection in the event of impact, as it increases the distance between the contact object and the head of the user.

QUALITY — 100% Lot Tested

The quality and high performance of the V-Gard are 100% lot tested to ensure they meet MSA’s, and more importantly your, quality standards.

Produced in 100% virgin high-density polyethylene, V-Gard is guaranteed to have the rigidity and elasticity needed to absorb impact, successfully meeting all the requirements of ANSI Z89.1 and CSA Z94.1. As well as high performance, the quality of its raw materials grants the shell a service life of up to five years.

Complete Solution — Guaranteed flexibility

Years of research and development have given V-Gard the very best in product engineering.

As a world leader in head protection, MSA develops accessories all over the world for the widest range of industrial applications. That’s how V-Gard has become a safety platform to which a variety of accessories needed for total head protection can be attached.

Features

Fas-Trac® III

Ratchet Suspension

Provides exceptional comfort, reducing pressure points while increasing stability.

1 Touch®

Suspension

Getting a better helmet fit is easier thanks to this one-handed, adjustable helmet suspension system.

Staz-On®

Suspension

Designed for easy clip-in to the V Gard hat or cap shell, users can adjust the liner for a secure and comfortable fit.

Self-Adjusting Straps

Shock-absorption system

The double bands/straps fitted to the Fas-Trac III Suspension maximize quality and comfort while helping to keep you safe.

The principle function of the double straps is to absorb energy in the event of impact, distributing it to the four support points, at the same time as it embraces the user’s head, forming a shock-absorbing system. In addition, it only has a single stitching point, which makes equipment inspection easier and helps to provide for the everyday safety of the worker.

Sizes

Greater coverage

Only a market leader understands the need for greater coverage in pursuit of satisfying all workers.

As well as being extremely comfortable, the MSA V-Gard cap and suspension system come in three different sizes, offering the widest range of fit in the market (6–81/2″), helping to provide the perfect fit for a diverse work force.

Sweatband

Based on comfort

For MSA, it’s not efficient if it’s not comfortable.

The basis for everything is comfort, and that’s why MSA is always looking for new technologies and solutions that meet the demands of an ever changing workforce. With the aim of absorbing the maximum amount of the user’s sweat, the sweatband on the Fas-Trac III Suspension is made of a coated and perforated foam, which together ensure absorption, sweat evaporation, worker comfort, and easy cleaning. The sweatband fitted to the V-Gard is supplied stitched-on, to avoid the loss or unnecessary replacement of items.

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