OSHA May Replace Inspector Hard Hats With Safer Helmets, Straps

OSHA inspectors may soon be arriving at construction sites wearing helmets with chin straps instead of the traditional hard hat.

The agency is looking at different helmet models with the idea that in the near future, inspectors will have the option of wearing them rather than hard hats, said Scott Ketcham, who oversees the agency’s Directorate of Construction.

Using the helmets, which look like more like mountaineering or hockey head gear than a hard hat, is gaining traction in the building industry because the helmets are believed to offer better protection from falls than strapless hard hats that can ...