Protective Equipments

Head injury accident is one kind of the major occupational accidents in Asia, United States and Europe, particularly in the construction industry. Every year many workers injured or are even killed as a result of head injury. To effectively reduce the risks of head injury, an appropriate type of safety helmets should be provided. The safety helmet selected should satisfy certain performance requirements including shock absorption, resistance to penetration; and be adjustable to fit and make comfortable to the user. Certainly, the safety helmet can never be effective unless it is properly worn for the purpose.

The use of safety helmets, like other personal protective equipment, is always regarded as the last resort for accident prevention. In principle, reducing or controlling the risks of injury at source should be considered first. Hazards of job processes or working environments may be the root sources of head injury. Appropriate preventive measures should be taken in order to prevent head injury. Some practical examples are: provision of toe-boards to prevent objects falling from the working platform, erection of catching fans and nets to reduce the likelihood of people being struck by any falling objects, and capping of projections from structures to prevent accidental bumping, etc

It is crucial that ‘safety helmets’ is not a substitute for other preventive measures of head injury accidents. Safety helmets do not prevent head injury accidents, but only reduce the severity.

A safe system of work for head protection or a head protection programme should be provided documenting all aspects of risk assessment, control measures, proper selection, use, care and maintenance of suitable safety helmets, implementation and monitoring. This can provide a systematic and effective approach to ensure the proper use and care of safety helmets as well as the implementation of control measures for eliminating or reducing the hazards associated with head injury.