Embedded Technology for Safety Helmets: Improving Health Outcomes and Certification Tracking

May 8, 2025|Construction, Head, PPE, Safety

With better materials, more effective designs, and embedded smart technology, safety helmets are ushering in a new era of head protection.

By Ryan Barnes, Contributor

Despite greater awareness about the importance of head protection and the increased adoption of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the head, a person sustains a brain injury every nine seconds in the U.S.[1] For those who work in industrial and construction settings, that risk is even higher. Approximately 1,200 work-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) fatalities occur annually in the U.S., with half of those deaths happening in industries such as construction, transportation, farming, forestry, and fishing.[2]

With these sobering statistics in mind, head protection remains mission-critical for organizations within these industries to better safeguard workers from TBIs or even death. A key factor in improving outcomes is designing new and safer types of helmets compared to the traditional hard hats that have protected heads for more than a century.

Type II vs. Type I Safety Helmets

Type II safety helmets, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, offer 360-degree head safety protection. This stands in contrast to traditional Type I hard hats, which are only rated to protect the top of the head from falling objects.

However, injuries from falling objects account for just a fraction of incidents compared to trips, slips, and falls. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), slips, trips, and falls were the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry, accounting for 37.9% of all fatalities from 2015-2019.[3] In comparison, deaths from falling objects represented just 16.7% of cases.[4] In 2020 alone, there were 1,008 documented fatal falls throughout the U.S. construction industry, according to OSHA.[5] Increased adoption of Type II safety helmets can help reduce fatalities caused by the number of falls, slips, and trips.

Many Type II helmets also incorporate innovative materials that offer greater protection. A prime example is the welded tube polymer from Koroyd, which, compared to traditional EPS foam or a head harness, provides significantly more protection from angled impacts along with improved ventilation for working in excessive heat.

Additionally, many Type II helmets also feature chin straps, such as Fidlock magnetic clasp chin straps, which allow easy buckling and unbuckling with one hand, even while wearing heavy gloves. Although chinstraps are not required for Type II certification, they can significantly improve injury outcomes from falls.

Beyond improved materials, Type II helmets may also include embedded technology to enhance incident response if an accident occurs, though this is also not required for certification.

Smart Safety Helmets Improve Safety and Compliance

Embedded near-field-communication (NFC) chips inside safety helmets – such as those from Twiceme – provide first responders with critical information about the wearer’s health, emergency contacts, and medical conditions, which can improve outcomes in the event of an accident.[6]

Furthermore, data in the chips can help wearers conduct effective audits of the equipment to ensure the worker wears the helmet properly or that the helmet itself is still effective. If the equipment is expired or is damaged, the chip provides confirmation that it should be replaced; if it’s in good condition, it builds confidence in its reliability.

NFC chips can also store certification information, including vaccinations required for working in hospital environments, or for operating certain types of heavy equipment on the job site. Instead of relying on physical documents stored in a truck or site office, workers can access this information with a quick scan, maintaining compliance without impacting productivity.

Improving Safety Helmets Improves Outcomes

By integrating NFC chips and other technological advancements into safety helmets, the data stored within becomes a key component of an organization’s digital transformation – while also streamlining PPE inspections and audits at the individual level.

With better materials, more effective designs, and embedded smart technology, safety helmets are ushering in a new era of head protection. As adoption increases, these innovations will help reduce serious injuries and improve safety outcomes across high-risk industries.