OSHA recently released a new Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) focussing on the proper use of head protection. At the same time, they announced that they are switching from traditional hard hats to safety helmets to protect agency employees from head injuries better.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that the agency is replacing traditional hard hats used by its employees with more modern safety helmets to protect them better when they are on inspection sites. Link
It’s yet to be seen if these announcements foreshadow a change to OSHA PPE requirements.
The bulletin provides crucial insights into the key differences between hard hats and safety helmets, emphasizing advancements in design, materials, and protective features that safeguard workers’ entire heads. Additionally, the bulletin offers guidance on proper inspection and storage practices for head protection, whether it’s a modern safety helmet or a conventional hard hat.
The agency recommends safety helmets be used by people working in the construction industry and the oil and gas industry; in high-temperature, specialized work and low-risk environments; performing tasks involving electrical work and working from heights; and when required by regulations or industry standards.
This doesn’t mean you should buy a climbing helmet from an outdoor recreation store and use it on a work site. Climbing helmets have excellent impact protection, but they are not tested to meet the specific ANSI or EN ratings required for worksites.
Also, compared to hard hats, safety helmets/climbing helmets sit lower on the head, and the harness secures lower on the back of the head, creating a more secure and comfortable fit.
As always, OSHA wants employers to make safety and health a core value in their workplaces, and these latest notices signal a focus on PPE, especially head protection.
Making Safety a Core Value
Should safety be a priority?
You’re probably going to say yes. But as OSHA suggests, safety shouldn’t just be a priority, it should be a core value.
A core value is a fundamental belief that guides your attitudes, choices, and actions in all respects. If you think of safety as a core value, you think of it as a guiding principle behind everything you do.
Safety as a core value treats safety as the most important item. More than that, safety is the commonality behind every choice and action. Priorities can change depending on the situation, but core values don’t. It’s simply the way that things are done.
How Does Safety Become a Culture?
Successful safety cultures have several things in common. They have procedures that are written well and that are easy to understand and follow at all levels of the organization. They have leadership who interacts with employees and who quickly resolve identified hazards. And lastly, in a good safety culture, safety isn’t managed from one injury to the next nor is the success of the culture managed by injury rates.
The good news is that your company is likely already on the right path to building a good safety culture. But to bring your program one step closer to thinking of safety as a value, you have to be willing to empower your employees to put themselves and their safety before production and sales. This means empowering employees to do the right things and not penalizing them for it when they do.
While there is a never-ending list of ways to empower your people, training is always one of the most effective methods. All of our training programs are designed to promote safety as a core value and a process of innovation. We want to help change your safety program for the better
Getting The Right Safety Training
You want to be certain that your OSHA health & safety training will be of the greatest value to your workforce and that you will see the benefits of safety training.
At ETI, our first step is to assess your business needs and work with you to finalize a customized training program. Contact us today to schedule your on-site health and safety assessment today!
Current Training areas
- Asbestos Testing, Abatement & Awareness
- Hazardous materials control
- Hazardous waste operations (HAZWOPER)
- Lead-based paint
- Healthcare Safety
- Construction Safety
- Weatherization Safety
- Mold Investigation and Remediation
- Indoor air quality
- Department of Transportation hazardous materials
- OSHA compliance and worker protection
- Fall Prevention and Protection
- Confined space entry and rescue
- OSHA 10 & 30 construction and general industry
- Lockout/Tagout
- General OSHA compliance for Construction and General Industry
- Personal Protective Equipment/Respiratory Protection including Level A certification
- Incident Management
- Pipeline safety
- Pipeline hazardous materials control
- Pipeline asbestos control
- Oil Spill Response
- Response boat operations
- Boom Deployment & Tactics
- First Aid/CPR/AED
- Methamphetamine & Clandestine lab clean-up *new offerings
- Integrated pest management
- Healthy Homes
UND Environmental Training Institute – Current Training Calendar
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Training can be provided at our training center in Grand Forks, at your location, at a remote site, or online (live or on-demand).
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