The construction engineering firm Clayco is vetting manufacturers to produce what it’s calling the “hard hat of the future,” which Clayco has developed with a team of 14 students and two faculty members at the Savannah (Ga.) College of Arts and Design (SCAD).
The global hard-hat market is expected to hit $3.19 billion in sales in 2025, from $2.1 billion in 2016. Clayco has been investigating improvements in hard-hat design for more than a year, starting with a evaluation of different design trends worldwide. “We concluded that we might be better off designing a new helmet ourselves,” says Todd Friis, Clayco’s Vice President of Risk Management.
Clayco had been involved in numerous construction projects with SCAD, and also supports the school’s sustainability efforts, says Paul Runko, Collaboration Manager at SCADpro, the school’s industry partnership department.
To gain a better understanding on how construction workers use their hard hats, the students visited Clayco’s jobsite for a 14-story residence hall at SCAD’s Atlanta campus to observe and interview the labor. “For many of our students, this was the first time they had ever put on a hard hat,” says Runko.
SCAD also created an online survey that received 188 responses from workers at various locations around the country.
What the research found was that while existing hard hats are safe, too often workers aren’t wearing them because, they say, the hats are uncomfortable or too hot. What the student team also discovered was how avidly workers personalize their hats, usually with stickers. And many of the workers polled or interviewed wear sunglasses on the job, which can affect the wearability of the helmets.
Charu Pardasani a researcher, planner, and documentarian on the Clayco-SCAD team, says that the students came up with 10 conceptual and abstract ideas, from which they developed eight hard hat concepts. Clayco has selected two prototypes on which to move forward:
Clayco has selected two hard hat designs, The Captain and Pollux, to manufacture. These were chosen from eight concepts. Image: Clayco
Pollux, whose design was based on workers’ need for adaptability. The customizable design allows users to attach a magnetic LED light or mount a GoPro camera. Pollux has a rotatable, transparent full brim that provides shade and visibility. The prototype includes a chin strap, not exactly a feature workers were clamoring for, but one that is included to enhance users’ comfort and to keep the hats on their heads, especially in high-wind situations.
Captain, the second prototype, features a completely different design. It’s more like a helmet, with vents at the top and the brim. This hat also has portals for multiple accessory attachments.
Friis says that, in choosing these two models, Clayco considered weight, ventilation, lighting, and attachments. (Neither of the prototypes has a face shield, but one can be attached to each.) He adds that Clayco paid particular attention to back-of-head protection during the design phase.
The cost of the new hard hats, and when they might be available for sale, has yet to be determined. Runko notes that during the 10-week design period, a group of students was dedicated to selecting materials with an eye toward affordability.
Clayco’s involvement can be seen as part of its broader effort to improve jobsite safety. That effort got a boost from a $1 million five-year grant that Clayco and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis received from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and CPWR The Center for Construction Research and Training.
In 2013-2014, Clayco and the school had conducted a study of three of Clayco’s jobsites in St. Louis to observe and measure how ergonomic programs were being administered and complied with. Ann Marie Dale, an Associate Professor at the medical school, explains that ergonomic injuries occur over time from the gradual and repetitive wear and tear on the body. They can include such injuries as lower-back strain, rotator cuff tears, and trigger finger deterioration.
After seeing the results of this survey, Dale and Friis met in the spring of 2017 to discuss “interventions” that might help reduce such injuries. A program for that purpose was rolled out to all of Clayco’s job sites over the course of the following year. Dale and her team continued to monitor progress at the three “control” jobsites in St. Louis. (She was accompanied on jobsites by ergonomics experts who could answer workers’ questions.)
Dale says that it took longer than anticipated to develop the safety literature to disseminate to the jobsites, as well as a training regimen. “This is not going to be a quick fix,” she concedes. Friis declined to disclose specific data about jobsite safety except to say that, as of May 2019, three-quarters of Clayco’s active construction projects were injury-free. “It’s not perfect, but the results speak for themselves.”
Dale adds that there is interest among other construction companies to adopt the Model program that UWash and Clayco have developed.
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 29, 2015
Milwaukee Bucks arena deal approved by Wisconsin state assembly
Created by Milwaukee firm Eppstein Uhen Architects and global firm Populous, the venue will be built in downtown Milwaukee. Its design draws inspiration from both Lake Michigan, which borders Milwaukee, and from aspects of basketball, like high-arcing free throws.
Contractors | Jul 29, 2015
Consensus Construction Forecast: Double-digit growth expected for commercial sector in 2015, 2016
Despite the adverse weather conditions that curtailed design and construction activity in the first quarter of the year, the overall construction market has performed extremely well to date, according to AIA's latest Consensus Construction Forecast.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2015
Miami developers are designing luxury housing to cater to out-of-town buyers and renters
The Miami Herald reports on several new multifamily projects, including the Paramount Miami Worldcenter, whose homes include maid’s rooms, larger terraces, boutique-size closets, and guest suites.
Green | Jul 23, 2015
NASA: U.S. headed for worst droughts in a millennium
Data from NASA shows carbon emissions could be the driving force behind devastating water shortages and record droughts in the western U.S.
Airports | Jul 22, 2015
MUST SEE: JFK airport taps Gensler to design terminal for animals
Pets can enjoy luxurious spa and grooming services before being transported directly to their flight from the terminal.
Office Buildings | Jul 21, 2015
Finally! There's a workplace trend that’s worth embracing
There’s a realization by corporate real estate executives that in order to create a successful workplace, there must be alignment between their people, their place, and the tools they have to do their jobs.
Codes and Standards | Jul 16, 2015
Berkeley, Calif., adopts balcony inspection program following deadly collapse
Apartment building balconies will be subject to inspections every three years under new regulations adopted following a deadly collapse.
Codes and Standards | Jul 16, 2015
Oregon to spend $300 million for seismic updates on public buildings
A survey found that more than 1,000 Oregon school buildings face a high risk of collapse during earthquakes.
Cultural Facilities | Jul 16, 2015
Louisville group plans to build world's largest disco ball
The sphere would more than double the size of the current record holder.
Industrial Facilities | Jul 14, 2015
Tesla may seek to double size of Gigafactory in Nevada
Tesla Motors purchased an additional 1,200 acres next to the Gigafactory and is looking to buy an additional 350 acres.