Clark to Require Trade Contractors to Switch from Hard Hats to Safety Helmets

Bethesda, MD – Today, Clark Construction Group announced that it will require all craft workers to wear safety helmets that meet certain performance standards and that are equipped with an integrated four-point chin strap on all new projects starting on August 1, 2022. This requirement further solidifies the company’s commitment to ensuring enhanced head protection for workers on its jobsites. Clark is the first general contractor to implement a corporate-wide requirement.

“Traditional hard hats are no longer the best option to protect the safety and well-being of the men and women on construction sites and just about everybody knows that,” said Kris Manning, senior vice president of safety at Clark. “The time is now for us to evolve as an industry and expedite the adoption of safety helmets.”

In 2017, Clark took the step of rolling out helmets to all of its employees – the first general contractor to do so. The year prior, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that 25% of all construction fatalities result from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), most of which occurred from a fall. With this alarming data in hand, Clark’s safety team began to search for ways to improve the protective gear utilized by employees. After more than a year of research, testing, and evaluating internal and third-party studies, Clark determined that safety helmets meeting certain performance standards and equipped with an integrated chin strap were a prudent solution to preventing TBIs as the result of a fall. 

“We recognize that adoption will not be easy, but we truly believe it is the right thing to do and we look forward to working with our trade partners and other general contractors to make it happen,” said Manning.

For Safety Week 2022, Clark has partnered with helmet manufacturers KASK, JSP, and Milwaukee to distribute over 1,500 safety helmets to craft workers on its projects nationwide.