Safework Australia reported that from 2019-2020, there were over 4,000 serious claims of work-related head injuries, and found that falls from heights accounted for 25% of all construction fatalities in 2008-11. Across all industries, that same 2008-2011 report found that 76% of fatalities were due to head injuries incurred in a fall.

Our skulls may be able to withstand a lot, but we should still ensure they are adequately protected especially when working in areas where there is a risk of falling objects and trip hazards.

But when is a bump cap sufficient, and when do you need a helmet? Get to know the anatomy of your head in this blog post and find out everything you need to know about bump caps.


The Anatomy of the Head

Our head contains our skull, which is a hard shell that protects our brain. The skull is made up of two parts: the neurocranium, which almost completely surrounds the brain, and the viscerocranium. The cerebrospinal fluid (liquor) acts as a shock absorber, cushioning the brain against impacts.

Overall, our skull is made up of 20 individual bones. There are also delicate blood vessels and nerve pathways in the brain, which are connected to the rest of the body. That is why head injuries can also affect other parts of the body. The anatomy of the head already takes this into account, with the skull acting as a natural protective helmet – but there is no fixed definition of how much the skull can withstand.

The skull’s resistance depends on the momentum, the period of force applied and the angle of impact. The position of the head also plays a role, because the skull is not equally strong throughout: The frontal bone is the strongest part of the skull, while the weakest bones are found in the temporal region. 

The skull can break from a pressure of 2–6 kp (20–60 N) per square millimetre – if it is on a fixed subsurface. When standing, the cervical spine compensates for the pressure, meaning that more force would be required in this case to suffer a fracture of the skull.


Head Injuries

External bumps, splits, minor bruises or injuries on the head happen quickly – in around 9,800 work-related accidents each year, employees suffer open head wounds. But since these usually only concern the periosteum (the membrane of blood vessels and nerves that wraps around most of your bones), they heal quickly and leave no further damage, other than a few scars.

When the brain is involved, however, a head injury becomes really dangerous. Approx. 19% of all work-related accidents that involve a head injury result in a concussion.

A concussion occurs when the brain hits against the interior wall of the skull due to an impact – this could be the impact on the floor after a fall or an object impacting against the head. The significant shock causes the brain to suffer a temporary dysfunction  – which is why we also speak of a traumatic brain injury. All head injuries in which the brain is injured or its function is disrupted, are called traumatic brain injuries. Each year, around 250,000 people are affected by this kind of trauma. But different severities and types are distinguished:

  • Level 1: Mild traumatic brain injury - 15 minutes loss of consciousness, no neurological consequences
  • Level 2: Moderate traumatic brain injury - Up to one hour loss of consciousness, potential delayed neurological consequences.
  • Level 3: Severe traumatic brain injury - Loss of consciousness for more than one hour, neurological consequential damage very likely.

To determine the severity, the bodily motor functions, verbal response capacity and the reaction of the eyes are assessed. This is done using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS Score) to assess the individual criteria – the higher the score, the less severe the injury.

A contusion of the skull, for example, does not involve a traumatic brain injury, because in this case the brain remains uninjured and no dysfunction occurs. A concussion is a mild form of traumatic brain injury. Other frequently occurring head injuries include cerebral contusion, compression of the brain, skull fracture and basal skull fracture.

Around 5% of head injuries are so severe that the person affected is permanently damaged and in need of care – in the worst case, a severe traumatic brain injury can cause death.


Head Protection: Bump Cap or Helmet?

To protect yourself and your head against moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, it is vital that you wear head protection in certain work areas. Whether you are hit by falling, protruding, fixed or suspended objects, devices and machinery – you could soon suffer a head injury.

 

What is a bump cap?

A bump cap is a head covering in the form of a baseball cap. But it is not an accessory you wear to watch your favourite sport or as a style choice – because the bump cap is part of your personal protective equipment (PPE). A plastic insert in the cap protects the head against impacts.

But bump caps are no replacement for hard hats, because a bump cap can only be worn in work areas where there is no hard hat requirement. Even if the risk assessment does not deem it necessary to wear a helmet, this does not mean that there is not still a risk to the head. You may still hit or graze your head against hard or protruding objects. in the same way you can smack your head into an open cupboard door in your kitchen. Bump caps are intended to protect the wearer against exactly these types of accidents.

In contrast to a hard hat, bump caps made of fabric are particularly comfortable to wear – in addition to the soft material, the light weight also ensures a comfortable fit. Some bump cap models are also able to withstand extremely low temperatures of down to -30°C, flames and an alternating voltage of up to 440 V.

 

Bump Cap - Advantages:

Despite offering lower impact protection than hard hats, bump caps can be the best head protection in certain situations, such as confined spaces and when working horizontally.

Pro Choice Safety Gear’s Product Development Manager, Brad Rodgers explained that: “Bump caps don’t protrude off the head like a normal hard hat,” and “The fit is nice and close and secure, which improves its ability to be worn in more confined spaces where hard hats aren’t suitable."

“It’ll also stay on your head without the need for a chin strap, so the wearer can work in non-vertical conditions without needing extra restraint.”

He added that bump caps are more breathable due to being much thinner and lighter than hard hats, with some weighing in at almost half the weight of an industrial hard hat.

Applications generally include mechanics working in, around and under vehicles for instance, or baggage handlers or airline workers in the holds of airplanes. It can also include workers installing products in roofs or voids, or food processing and some manufacturing and assembly jobs, and jobs involving moving around in confined spaces.

 

Hard Hat - Advantages:

However, in general, any worksite requiring an industrial hard hat according to the AS/NZS 1801 Standard should automatically rule out the use of a bump cap.

“If there’s an object-generated impact risk you look straight to an industrial hard hat that complies with the Australian Standard,” said Rodgers.

He added, “Only if it’s a worker-generated impact with no risk of falling objects from above would a bump cap be used.”

 

For further information, view either the uvex safety blog post or the Pro Choice Safety blog post on this topic