Evaluation of the fall protection of Type I industrial helmets

Type I industrial helmets have been widely used at construction sites and by manufacturers as “general purpose” safety helmets. The performance of Type I industrial helmets for fall protection is not required to be tested in standardized tests. Chin straps and suspension system adjustment mechanisms are two important components of a typical industrial helmet, but the effects of proper use of them on the protective performance of Type I helmets have not been evaluated. The current study was designed to analyze the fall protection performance of Type I industrial helmets and to evaluate if the use of a chin strap and the suspension system tightness have any effect on protection performance. Head impact tests were performed by letting an instrumented manikin free fall backwards, from a standing posture, so that the manikin would make head-first contact with a solid surface of two different materials (concrete and plywood-covered). The results showed that all four tested helmet models demonstrated excellent performances for fall protection compared to the control group without wearing helmets. The fall protection performance of the advanced helmet models was substantially better than the basic helmet models. However, the effects of the use of chin straps and suspension system tightness on the helmets’ fall protection performance were statistically not significant. The findings of our study provide information to help construction companies and manufacturers better manage the use of Type I helmets for fall protection, thereby reducing work-related traumatic brain injury risks.