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Improved construction helmets

On Behalf of | Jul 19, 2017 | Workers' Compensation

An engineer at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which has been researching protective helmets since the 1970s, stated in 2014 that construction workers should have the best designed headgear. New Jersey construction workers may be able to use safety helmets created by construction companies to specifically to give workers better protection from injuries and fatalities related to falling. From 2003 to 2010, there were 2,210 traumatic brain injuries in the construction industry that resulted in death, which correlated to a rate of 2.6 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Workers 65 years of age or older had the highest rates of TBI rates of all workers, with falls being the primary cause.

Often referred to as hard hats, construction helmets are brimmed and have suspension bands inside that disperse the weight of the helmet and the force of impacts it may sustain. There is typically almost an inch between the worker’s head and the helmet’s shell so that if the helmet was to sustain a blow or impact, such as from a falling object or during a fall, there is a reduced chance that the force of the impact will be applied directly to the skull. Construction companies have begun to design safety hat designs that are similar to those used for sports such as mountain climbing. They state that these types of hats are not as likely to fall off .

Construction site accidents can result in catastrophic injuries. Workers who have been harmed in such an incident might want to have legal assistance when filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.

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