Job-Site Safety Institute Announces New Grant Focused on Transitioning from Hard Hats to Safety Helmets for Small Construction Contractors
Mick McDonald
mmcdonald@bmico.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (October 9, 2024) – The Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI), a nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to improving safety and protecting lives, has announced it has awarded a new grant to North Carolina State University and George Mason University. The grant will fund research to investigate and analyze the business and safety benefits for small construction firms to transition from traditional hard hats to protective safety helmets. This effort will hopefully work to reduce the risk of traumatic brain injuries, which are responsible for 25% of all construction fatalities, and many serious injuries associated with a fall or a blow to the head.
“Construction workers, especially those working for small companies, are at a high risk for head injuries,” said Erik Anderson, JSI Chairman of the Board and Vice President of DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen Remodeling. “This important case study will help identify how small employers can make an investment in new, more protective safety helmets to reduce the risk of construction workers suffering a traumatic brain injury.”
The research funded by JSI will work to understand the advantages of using new, more protective safety helmets, identify barriers that might prevent small construction firms from replacing hard hats with safety helmets, and develop strategies to promote and increase the use of safety helmets in small construction firms.
"Transitioning from traditional hardhats to advanced safety helmets is not just a step forward in protecting our workers—it's a commitment to prioritizing their well-being,” said Alex Albert, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. “Our research will provide the insights needed to overcome barriers and ensure that every worker, especially those in small construction businesses, has access to the best possible protection on the job. We're thrilled to partner with the Job-Site Safety Institute on this important effort."
The goal of the research will be to develop an educational campaign roadmap aimed at promoting the broader industry adoption of safety helmets, with a particular focus on targeting small construction businesses.
“Our collaborative research project will actively advocate narrowing the research and practice gaps while advancing workplace safety on the small construction contractors,” said Dr. Sang D. Choi, Professor at the Department of Global and Community Health and College of Public Health at George Mason University. “Our utmost goal is to advance construction safety standards and promote workers’ safety, health, and well-being. We’re truly excited to be partnering with the Job-Site Safety Institute on this research to practice project.”
The research project is scheduled to be completed in April of 2025.
Learn more about the Job-Site Safety Institute at www.jssafety.org.
About JSI: Founded by Builders Mutual, the Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. This research and educational organization is dedicated to eliminating all job-site related injuries and deaths in the construction industry. Research by JSI will play a critical role in improving on-the-job safety and saving lives.
About North Carolina State University: North Carolina State University a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. NC State University is one of the nation's preeminent research enterprises and the university of choice for accomplished, high-performing students from around the world. With more than 38,000 students and more than 10,000 faculty and staff, NC State is a comprehensive university known both for its leadership in interdisciplinary innovation and its sense of tight-knit community.
About George Mason University: George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. CNBC has named Virginia America’s Top State for Business in 2024, and the No. 1 state for education, dual distinctions that highlight George Mason University’s impact as the largest and most innovative public university in Virginia and a top 50 public university nationally. Mason also places No. 1 in Virginia for public universities across all rankings that measure social mobility.