St. Paul, MN, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ergodyne has collaborated with other leading safety equipment manufacturers and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) in the creation of a standard for solutions aimed at reducing injuries caused by head impacts with stationary objects. This falls under a category of personal protective equipment (PPE) known as bump caps.
This voluntary industry consensus standard, designated as ISEA 100, has recently received approval from ISEA committee members and is currently undergoing a formal review process. Upon finalization, release, and adoption, this standard will provide manufacturers with a consistent guideline for classification, test procedures, and performance requirements for bump caps. It is anticipated that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) will subsequently adopt the safety standard in conjunction with ISEA, resulting in the designation ANSI/ISEA 100.
There is a critical gap in workplace head protection: the risk of bumps, scrapes, and cuts from low ceilings, overhead objects, or tight spaces in settings where traditional hard hats or safety helmets are not required or even practical.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), injuries to the head account for roughly 78,000 injuries resulting in at least one day away from work every year in the private sector. (BLS reported 156,000 in the two-year period from 2021-22). Of those, a mere 7.2% occurred in construction, where hard hats are most likely being worn. Meanwhile, service workers (who may or may not be wearing hard hats) account for 22.1% of head injuries. Transportation and material moving make up another 20.6%.
“And those workers (in transportation and material moving) are likely not wearing hard hats or even bump caps,” says Ergodyne President and ISEA Trustee Greg Schrab. Schrab has led the effort from ISEA’s Head Protection Group in developing the standard. “These two occupational sectors have more than six times the amount of head injuries than construction… so obviously the need for a safety solution is there.”
To date, there had not been a US standard for bump cap manufacturers to reference. ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 (R2019) – American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection is the current edition of the American National Standard for hard hats and does not cover bump caps.
“When a standard is referenced, it is usually (the European bump cap standard) EN812,” says Schrab. “It’s serviceable as a reference in the absence of a US standard, but it has its limitations.” Most notably, Schrab elaborates, it doesn’t address the concept of universal bump cap inserts. Bump cap inserts continue to grow in popularity as they allow wearers to fortify just about any type of headwear with lightweight, relatively unobtrusive impact protection–from baseball caps to winter beanies to wide-brimmed sun hats. ISEA 100 addresses this by adding various testing and language clarity that allows for inserts to meet the standard.
ISEA 100, once published, will act as a benchmark for future bump cap development. It shares similar performance requirements with EN812 but permits more flexibility in design to accommodate the diverse needs of workers and various work scenarios.
ISEA (International Safety Equipment Association) is a professional association for personal protective equipment and technologies that has served as the trade association of safety manufacturers for over 90 years. Their members sponsor and draft standards that can then be adopted by organizations like ANSI.
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) is a nearly century-old, private, not-for-profit organization that promotes “voluntary consensus standards.” The purpose of ANSI and the standards they and ISEA put forth is to set a level of quality and safety across an entire industry. Because these standards are voluntary, there is no enforcement of them. However, many are recognized as industry best practice.
The release date of ISEA 100 has not been finalized.
For more information on the forthcoming standard, contact [email protected].
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Since 1983, Tenacious Holdings, Inc. (dba Ergodyne, a Klein Tools Company) has pioneered the development of products that Make The Workplace A Betterplace™. What started with just one product has grown into a line of top flight, battle-tested, Tenacious Work Gear®; all precision crafted to provide protection, promote prevention and manage the elements for workers on jobsites the world over. The current lineup is extensive and constantly growing: ProFlex® Hand Protection, ProFlex® Knee Pads, ProFlex® Supports, Skullerz® Head & Face Protection, Skullerz® Eye Protection, Trex® Traction, KREW’D® Skin Protection, Chill-Its® Cooling Products, N-Ferno® Warming Products, GloWear® Hi-Vis Apparel, Squids® Lanyards, Arsenal® Gear and Tool Storage, and SHAX® Portable Work Shelters.
Originally posted on: www.ergodyne.com
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