Staying Ahead of Warehouse and Distribution Center Safety and PPE

As Type II safety helmets become standard on job sites, warehouse and distribution centers should consider the same.

By: Ryan Barnes, Contributor

Certified Type II safety helmets — like Studson’s Full Brim helmet — offer more comprehensive impact protection, including the front, back, sides and top of the head. Photo courtesy of Studson.

When considering the difference in safety risks and personal protective equipment (PPE) standards between a construction site and a warehouse or distribution center environment, one might automatically assume that the construction industry poses far more hazards. However, warehouses and distribution centers possess their own list of risks.

The warehousing industry faces a multitude of safety hazards on a daily basis. Workers risk musculoskeletal injuries from picking up cases from a pallet or unit load; forklift operators must be hyper aware of their environments to maintain safe clearances for aisles, loading docks, passages, and pedestrians; slips, trips and falls pose a great hazard as related to clear floors, ladder use, stairs and dock boards; and heat illness can affect warehousing workers performing physical work, especially if a facility is humid and not climate controlled, to name a few.

In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) pocket guide¹ on Warehousing Worker Safety, the fatal injury rate for the warehousing industry is higher than the national average for all industries. OSHA calls out the greatest potential hazards for workers in warehousing as unsafe use of forklifts, improper stacking of products, failure to follow proper lockout/tag out procedures, inadequate fire safety, repetitive motion injuries and failure to use proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

To avoid fatal injuries related to a slip, trip or fall, as well as those from falling objects or even heat illness, the industry should look beyond a bump cap, and instead, invest in Type II safety helmets for employees.

THE INTRODUCTION OF TYPE II SAFETY HELMETS

In 2020, OSHA safety officers, plant operators, and others documented 1,008 fatal falls. In response, industry leaders have abandoned the conventional industrial hard hat market and have begun transitioning to Type II safety helmets.

The American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection (ANSI Z89.1) certified Type II safety helmet offers more comprehensive impact protection, including the front, back, sides, and top of the head. These helmets often feature additional safety enhancements not found in traditional Type I hard hats, such as advanced impact protection technologies and near-field communication (NFC) chips that transmit vital medical information to first responders in an emergency.

Key advantages of Type II safety helmets include:

• Durability: Robust designs extend helmet lifespans, reducing the need for frequent PPE replacement.
• Heat Stress Mitigation: Warehouse and distribution centers can heat up during the warmer months. Type II safety helmets with venting can help keep workers cooler. Newer Type II helmets also feature an alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam allowing hot air to escape easily.
• Financial Benefits: Fewer injuries mean fewer workers’ compensation claims, potentially saving significant costs.
• Potentially Lower Insurance Costs: Reduced injuries can lead to lower liability insurance premiums.
• Risk Mitigation: Promotes a safety-oriented culture, decreasing workplace hazards.
• Increased Productivity: Fewer injuries mean more time spent on tasks, boosting productivity and earnings for individual workers who can stay on the job.
• Comfort: Type II safety helmets with personalized fit systems reduce pressure points on employees’ heads, making the experience more comfortable.

Despite these benefits, the transition to Type II helmets has met resistance, especially from workers who have used traditional hard hats or bump caps for years without incident.

THE SYMBOLISM OF HARD HATS

Traditional hard hats hold significant symbolic value for many workers. They represent hard work, career progression and pride. Workers are often attached to the style of traditional hard hats, which are sometimes seen as an unspoken advertisement for the individual’s skills and dedication.

When Type II helmets first became available, they were modeled after climbing helmets and lacked the traditional brim. While these helmets were safer, many workers missed the familiar brim that offered protection from the elements and symbolized their hard work.

In response, the PPE industry has introduced new Type II helmets with the traditional full-brim look, combining familiar aesthetics with modern safety innovations.

ENTER TYPE II SAFETY HELMETS

Type II safety helmets have evolved to meet the safety needs of the industry while providing the style and comfort that workers desire. Full-brim options maintain the familiar silhouette and provide better protection, encouraging more workers to adopt these safer helmets.

These helmets also offer increased impact protection through advanced technologies such as welded-tube polymers from Koroyd and NFC technology from Twiceme, which replaces the traditional paper medical information with an integrated chip, allowing first responders to access vital data and emergency contacts within seconds. Additionally, new Type II helmets feature replaceable, washable pad sets, offering a more comfortable and hygienic experience.

Although many organizations now mandate Type II helmets for warehousing and distribution center environments, getting employees excited about the transition is crucial. Offering full-brim style helmets with Type II protection provides the necessary compromise for widespread adoption. WMHS

Ryan Barnes is founder and CEO of Studson, a US-based industrial Type II safety helmet maker. Since its founding in 2020, Studson aims to consistently deliver the most innovative industrial head protection equipment to save lives and livelihoods. https://studson.com/