Free Webinar to Explore Helmets vs. Hard Hats in Construction

Safety
Published

Construction workers suffer traumatic brain injuries at a higher rate than workers in any other occupation. That problem has many exploring ways to better protect heads on the jobsite.

At NAHB’s Spring Leadership Meeting in Washington in June, Scott Ketcham, director of OSHA’s Office of the Directorate of Construction, noted that 20% of head injuries in construction are the result of slips, trips and falls.

Some believe traditional hard hats don’t offer enough protection against injuries common in construction, namely for their lack of a chin strap. When a worker falls, hard hats can come off, posing a head injury risk when the worker lands. As a result, many are campaigning for further change.

The Hard Hats To Helmets initiative is pushing for improved head protection, stating that safety helmets include the best features of hard hats and head protection for sports such as rock climbing and cycling. Unlike hard hats, helmets can be strapped in and relied on in slips and falls.

On Wednesday, July 19, at 2 p.m. ET, two industry leaders — Scott Greenhaus and Cindy DePrater — will discuss the manufacturing and testing of industrial head protection, current OSHA requirements, and research that supports a shift from hard hats to helmets. The webinar, “Helmets vs. Hardhats: Why Helmets,” is hosted by the Associated General Contractors (AGC).

Greenhaus is the executive vice president of Structural Technologies, a construction technology and service provider that specializes in concrete repair, strengthening and protection.

DePrater is the senior vice president, chief environmental, health and safety officer at Turner Construction Company, where she leads a group of more than 380 industry professionals.

Register now for free.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Disaster Response

Sep 12, 2025

Builders’ Guide to Keeping Job Sites and Communities Prepared

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual federal initiative to raise awareness and equip individuals, businesses and communities with the tools they need to prepare for disasters.

IBS | Awards

Sep 11, 2025

2026 Best of IBS Awards Open

The NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) recognizes the outstanding building products and services with the Best of IBS Awards. Apply by Nov. 21, 2025, to showcase your products.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Sep 12, 2025

Household Real Estate Asset Values Reach New High

The market value of household real estate assets rose to $49.3 trillion in the second quarter of 2025, according to the most recent release of U.S. Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts. The value rose by 2.7% from the first quarter and is 1.1% higher than a year ago. This measure of market value estimates the value of all owner-occupied real estate nationwide.

Economics

Sep 11, 2025

Parking Trends in Newly Completed Single-Family Homes, 2024

In 2024, 65% of newly completed single-family homes featured two-car garages, according to NAHB’s analysis of the Census’s Survey of Construction data. The share of new homes with three or more car garages stood at 15%, continuing a downward trend from its peak of 24% in 2015 and decreasing 2 percentage points from 2023.

Economics

Sep 10, 2025

Year-over-Year Building Material Price Growth Advances

Price growth for residential building materials rose for the fourth straight month in August, reaching its highest level since January 2023. Across domestic inputs goods and services into residential construction, service prices decreased in August while goods prices slightly advanced.