Builders Veer to New Hard Hat Designs to Stem Worker Head Trauma

Construction workers soon will be wearing new styles of hard hats secured with chin straps that contractors hope will reduce the number of on-the-job deaths attributed to head trauma.

The traditional hard hat has been around for more than 100 years and is usually secured to the head by an adjustable ring inside the shell. The problem is that the hard hat can fly off the head in a fall. A helmet secured with a chin strap is likely to stay put, protect the worker’s head, and reduce the risk of serious injury or death related to a fall.

“We’ve ...