01-34 GENERALS SPRING25 PT - Flipbook - Page 27
One of the most critical innovations is
protection against oblique impacts, which
account for a signi昀椀cant share of jobsite
injuries. Top-only protection is no longer
enough.
With many of the progressive General
Contractors already going the extra mile
to incorporate new safety technologies
on jobsites, they are helping other
companies re-evaluate their current
solutions. Among those companies
is EllisDon, one of the 昀椀rst to make
the switch. We caught up with Dennis
Christie, Director of Health, Safety,
and Environment at EllisDon, to shed
insight on the thought process behind the
transition.
“Given that dropped objects and falling
workers often don’t fall straight down,
it is crucial to assess whether our head
protection is actually fit for purpose,”
says Christie.
In Ontario, where Type I hard hats
are still the regulatory standard, most
jobsites continue to rely on them despite
their limited protection.
The hurdle: Resistance to change
Type II head protection is beginning to see
rapid implementation by General Contractors across Canada, but despite their
advantages, there is still plenty of pushback
against the switch—so what’s causing it?
Let’s compare this to the sport we all
know and love. As Canadians, one of our
country’s favourite pastimes is hockey.
Not long ago, NHL players regularly left
chinstraps dangling. Collisions frequently
caused helmets to dislodge, heightening
the risk of secondary head injuries. As
the science evolved, so did the rules and
behaviours. Today, properly 昀椀tted and
strapped helmets are the standard.
The construction industry faces a
similar journey. Despite compelling
evidence and improved designs, some
workers still prefer the “old-school” 昀椀t
or feel of Type I models. For many, it’s an
issue of habit, comfort, or perception, and
change can feel disruptive.
However, the biggest shift often happens
after a near-miss. Just like narrowly
avoiding a car crash can change how
someone drives, witnessing or experiencing
a close call on a jobsite can reframe the
value of PPE. Unfortunately, not all workers
realize the consequences until it’s too late.
Fig. 4.1 Fig. 4.2
“Type I hard hats are designed solely for topof-head impacts and typically don’t feature
chinstraps. This can lead to a helmet being
dislodged during a fall, leaving workers
vulnerable.”
“By comparison, Type II hard hats provide
multi-directional impact protection and retention
features like chinstraps and impact energy
attenuation. They’ve undergone off-centre impact
testing, making them far more effective in realworld scenarios”, Christie went on to state.
FIG. 4.1
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