Safety helmets resembling climbing headgear may replace the traditional construction hard hat at the Pueblo plant for the safety of the workers, who will try out the new helmets during the cutting and removal of piping in the off-gas treatment system.

“These are not the hard hats your grandfather wore,” said Michael Johnson, system safety technologist, Bechtel Pueblo Team. “Everything a worker needs for head protection can now be found in one helmet.”

The project has enough of the new helmets for the pipe-removal crew to wear for a testing period. Johnson is convinced that the new helmet design offers more protection, a better fit, more comfort, and that workers will choose to wear them. After the test, the workers will vote on the change, and the plant will move forward with the transition to the new safety gear, if selected.

While both hard hats and climbing helmets offer head protection, climbing helmets are designed for better side and back impact protection, while hard hats primarily focus on top impact protection, Johnson said. The new helmets come equipped with a chin strap for a secure fit and also offer features such as vents that provide greater air flow to the head, connection points for attachments such as eye, face and hearing protection, and clips for securing a headlamp for dark environments.

In 2023 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, announced the switch from traditional hard hats to safety helmets to protect their own workers from head injuries. OSHA requires employees working in areas where there is a possible danger of head injury from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns, to wear protective helmets that meet minimum American and international safety standards.

The helmets chosen for PCAPP offer the choice of half- or full-face shield coverage, depending on the type of work being completed. Without a chin strap, a traditional hard hat can fall off a worker’s head during a slip or trip, leaving them unprotected.

Johnson said project management has encouraged recommendations for innovative gear that is within safety standards. He pointed to the acquisition last year of new gloves selected by the workforce that provided additional protection to the tops of the hands.

“Just because we’re getting to the end of our mission is no reason not to look at a safety innovation that will improve the working conditions for our employees,” Johnson said. “As long as an item meets the safety standards, we are willing to do the research and have those conversations.”