The human brain is an amazing thing. With 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion neurons, it enables us to breathe, think, dream, retain memories, and make 35,000 decisions each and every day. So, it’s well worth looking after by choosing the right head protection.

But with a myriad of options out there, how do you know what to look for when choosing a safety helmet, and what options will help your team perform to the best of their ability?

PPE that pays for itself:

Everybody loves a bargain, but it’s not worth putting the health of your workers at risk with lower quality PPE just because of its initial cost. But, beyond safety, maximising your PPE budget by choosing a quality safety partner will not only ensure that you get a better, more consistent return on the money you spend.  It will also help to get the most out of your team.

If a worker knows that they are well protected they can have complete confidence in carrying out their duties.  The best choice of helmets will also be the most comfortable. This can contribute to a happier workforce, one that will create a better culture within your organisation. The result of greater confidence and happiness is a willingness to work more efficiently.  Forbes has even suggested that a happier worker can be up to 20 per cent more productive – meaning you’re PPE budget has paid for itself.[i]

To achieve these benefits, hard hats need to be appropriate to the workers’ task and working environment, fit comfortably and provide the highest levels of safety.

Choosing the right helmet:

With so many helmet designs on the market, it’s understandable that project leaders don’t know what to look for when choosing for your team.  Some of the key questions to be asking include:

1. Does it comply with the relevant standards? Complying with standards isn’t just about safety – failing to be compliant can result in large fines and reputational damage for your organisation. Check whether you need to meet ANSI, CSA and EN standards or other grades for specific applications.
2. Is it comfortable? A comfortable helmet is more likely to be worn than one that doesn’t fit properly. Look for features like a fast-dry sweatband, intuitive and full adjustability, ventilation systems and a lightweight design.
3. Does it look good? While safety should never be compromised for style, a more attractive helmet can increase the likelihood that it will be worn.
4. Can accessories be added? Extra accessories may be needed to add extra protection for workers’ faces, eyes, hearing and breathing.
5. Can you choose application specific features? For example, working at heights or in confined spaces you want to choose a helmet with a chinstrap and that is brimless and compact, while working in electrical environments or around chemicals you want the option to choose helmets that are non-vented, have an integrated face-mask, is made of anti-static materials and is gutter free.

Why you should choose to brand your helmet:

On a project site, with dozens or even hundreds of workers, hard hat customisation, with different colours or logos, is absolutely critical.

Managing a busy project, with multiple sub-contractors, can be challenging – and it’s important to remember that sub-contractors may be relative strangers to the workplace and unfamiliar with an organisation’s procedures and rules.  Customised hard hats provide a useful reminder of who’s who, and what workers’ positions and responsibilities are.

Other, more fundamental, safety features can also be added on, including retro-fitted stickers that enhance the visibility and safety of workers, and the promotion of potentially life-saving safety messages and reminders.

Furthermore, in an increasingly competitive market, customisation, including the printing of companies’ logos, is an invaluable marketing tool, enabling companies to stand out from the crowd.  It can also unify workforces and foster a greater sense of collective teamwork and pride.

Top tips to consider when customising:

You’ve decided that helmet customisation is a valuable tool for your company?  Great.  Now here are some things to consider when branding up your hard hats:

1. Check that what you have in mind conforms to your company standards before ordering
2. Think about what safety procedures you adhere to – could some of that messaging be placed on the hard hat for visibility?
3. Think about the colours and sizing of logos and messages, and how they would change when applied to the finished product.
4. How quickly can the product be turned around? At MSA Safety we can have logoed hard hats manufactured within as little as five days.

The team to help

MSA Safety is the designer, manufacturer and supplier of industry-leading safety products – including its iconic V-Gard® head protection range, used by millions of workers in the toughest environments.

Our team is here to help make purchasing high quality, customised hard hats, quick and hassle-free.  And, if you’re using a safety helmet from another brand, for a limited time we are offering a free front logo if you make the switch to us.

Visit msasafety.com/customhardhats to experience the benefits of hard-hat customisation for yourself.

[i] Promoting employee happiness benefits everyone, Forbes