Head protection has become a fundamental part of workplace health and safety in recent decades and regulations have been introduced to ensure that companies and employees are aware of the potential for head injury in the workplace and how to control this risk appropriately and adequately.The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989 require the supply and wearing of approved safety helmets.
Head protection is considered appropriate when it provides protection against the foreseeable risk of head injury to the extent that it is "reasonably practicable". This means that head protection is "suitable" only if it sufficiently reduces the risk of head injury so that any injury to the head is "reasonably" unlikely to occur during normal work activities. For example, an astronaut needs adequate head protection for a space environment with limited oxygen supply and radiation hazards, but a construction site worker does not need this level of protection because he is not exposed to these hazards in his normal work.
The extra expense spent on this form of protection would be wasted; instead, construction helmets are sufficient to limit the risk of injury when a worker hits his head on a low ceiling in a crowded work area. In addition, a person of sufficient height in a structurally sound, normally enclosed, empty room in a home does not need head protection because there is no immediate danger posed by the risk of a head injury occurring. If a person decides to hit the wall first and sustain a head injury, that person's sanity should be checked because a rational and sensible person would not do so and therefore would not need reasonable protection!
Suitable head protection must fit the wearer with the necessary adjustments and must be suitable for the activity as defined in the Building Design and Management Regulations 1994. It is important that head protection is adjustable and comfortable. Personal protective equipment such as helmets are often purchased in bulk to save money and therefore need to be adjustable to fit a wide variety of people. It is also important that helmets are comfortable when worn for extended periods of time to prevent workers from being aggravated as a result.
Every employer should provide proper head protection for their employees. They should also maintain and replace it when necessary. It is important that if a helmet comes into contact with equipment/structures/flying objects (is damaged and deemed no longer appropriate), find a suitable replacement and continue to protect the worker's head to help manage the foreseeable risk of injury.
The recommended helmet should be relatively cost effective and suitable and adequate for the construction environment expected by the industry in general, i.e., "reasonably practicable". If such a helmet is not available, a similar suitable helmet should be provided. It is generally recommended that helmets be worn for 2-3 years and then replaced with newer helmets, or sooner if working conditions require. Employees should sign an acceptance form when helmets are issued so that a record is kept of when they receive them, which can be provided as evidence to the company if an employee suffers a head injury on the job, and can help with cost analysis if an employee needs a new helmet due to damage.
On large construction sites, a commonly accepted best practice is to have the helmet stamped with the company logo or an approved company name sticker. To complement this, a name sticker can also be placed on the front of the helmet to aid communication. Similar stickers can be provided to show that workers are trained in first aid and have received on-site induction training prior to starting work and after signing head protection.
YULONG Safety Tools Manufacturer Corp.,Ltd.
YULONG Safety Tools Manufacturer Corp.,Ltd. is a professional safety equipment producer in China with more than 20 years. We are Specialized in Head Protection, Eye and Face Protection, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Protection, Knee Protection etc. YULONG SAFETY has passed ISO 9001 Internal Quality system Certification. All product passed CE, ANSI, CSA, EMC etc. With experienced development teams and complete production supporting facilities.
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