Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Client Communications Coordinator Megan Lockhart discuss the evolving landscape of safety equipment in the construction industry. They delve into the transition from traditional hard hats to advanced safety helmets, exploring the added features and growing adoption among general contractors, shedding light on potential changes in OSHA regulations, and emphasizing the importance of staying informed as the industry continues to prioritize worker safety.
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Director/Host: Alyssa Burley
Guest: Megan Lockhart
Producer/Editor: Lauren Stumpf
Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence
© Copyright 2023. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
Transcript
Alyssa Burley: Hi. This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa's Media Communications and Client Services Department. Thank you for listening to today's top Rancho Mesa News, brought to you by our Safety and Risk Management Network StudioOne. Welcome back, everyone. My guest is Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. Today, we're going to talk about safety helmets in the construction industry. Megan, welcome to the show.
Megan Lockhart: Thanks for having me, Alyssa.
AB: Now, this year in particular, we have seen a big evolution in the construction industry with regards to personal protective equipment on the job site. More and more general contractors have made the switch from standard hardhats to now requiring safety helmets. Megan, can you tell us a little bit more about these new helmets?
ML: Yeah. So the safety helmets are intended to increase safety for workers on the construction site. While they are similar in form to the normal hardhat, they also have some added features. They have a chinstrap to allow for the helmet to sit more securely on the head in the event of slips, trips and falls. There's also usually an added face shield to protect from debris that could fly towards workers faces and eyes, and earmuffs can be attached to protect ears from dangerously high noise levels.
AB: And our tree care clients and others who work at height have been wearing these types of helmets for years. So it's interesting that they are now being adopted by all trades to increase safety and comfort. You know, I was recently on a job site and spoke with a superintendent who likes the helmet better than a traditional hardhat since his safety glasses are integrated into the helmet and he doesn't have to adjust it throughout the day. It stays in place and has all of his head protection built in.
ML: Absolutely. Yeah, exactly. And we have seen a quick uptick in large GCs requiring these for all workers on their job sites for this very reason.
AB: So this is something subcontractors should be aware of as this trend becomes more prevalent. Is OSHA requiring these new safety helmets or is this something that the GCs are just doing on their own?
ML: So although there is no current OSHA laws requiring safety helmets over hardhats, there have been talks. The topic was brought up at the National Association of Home Builders, or NAHB Spring Leadership Meeting back in June of 2023. The director of OSHA's Office of the Directorate of Construction, Scott Ketchum, commented on OSHA's plans to improve jobsite safety with elevated standards for PPE in the near future. In the meeting, one OSHA initiative was shared about a pilot program for safety helmets meant to eventually replace hardhats as the preferred head protection in construction.
AB: Okay. I think we're going to continue to see more and more GCs require helmets on their job sites. And it's important for those in the construction industry to be aware of the possible changes to come regarding their required PPE. And we will definitely continue to keep clients updated as standards change. So, Megan, thanks for joining me in StudioOne.
ML: Yeah, thanks for having me.
AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning into our latest episode produced by StudioOne. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
