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Safety Meeting Blueprint: Head Protection

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Here’s a statistic that might surprise you: Every year in the U.S., more than 1,200 employees die from traumatic brain injuries. That amounts to more than three worker deaths every day from injuries to the head.

And these deadly head injuries happen in a wide variety of ways, including falling objects striking someone on the head; workers tumbling from elevated locations; people slipping, tripping, or falling on the same level; and crew members contacting energized electrical circuits.

While the causes of fatal head injuries can vary quite a bit, the steps needed to prevent mishaps are more straightforward.

Before the start of every job, evaluate the task to determine whether head protection might be needed. Scan above and around you to identify low beams, scaffolding, moving loads, overhead work and tools or materials stored overhead. If you spot anything that could cause a head injury, you’ll need to wear a hard hat during the task.

You can also reduce the chances of suffering a head injury by keeping your work area and shared walkways clear of electrical cords, tools, debris, liquids and loose materials that could cause a trip and fall.

Furthermore, it’s best to never walk or work under suspended loads, to stay clear of struck-by zones around equipment, to use designated walkways, and to obey warning signs for overhead work, low clearances and restricted areas. It’s also important to wear seat belts while operating industrial trucks – one of the leading causes of fatal head injuries is vehicle crashes.

(What other steps can we take to reduce the chances of a head injury?)

In addition to safe work practices, you lower the likelihood of an injury by putting on a hard hat whenever you could be exposed to hazardous conditions. To obtain the most effective protection, select the correct hard hat for the dangers you could face.

If, for instance, you could be at risk for blows to the top of the head only, put on a Type I hard hat, which specifically protects the top of the head. If you could be at risk for blows to the top, back, or sides of the head, select a Type II hard hat, which provides more protection than does a Type I hard hat.

When you’ll be laboring in a high-temperature environment or engaging in a task with potential exposure to molten metal, choose head protection with advanced heat-protection properties – marked as HT on the label.

And if you could be exposed to electrical hazards, select a Class E hard hat, which is designed to provide maximum protection against electrical current.

Thanks for your attention. And remember, let’s stay safe out there!

(From the March 9, 2026, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)