Why Are Companies Switching To Type II Helmets?
Header image: U.S. Army photo by Monique Freemon
Quick Answer
Companies are switching to Type II safety helmets because the hazards that hurt workers do not only come from overhead. Falls, swinging loads, and side strikes hit the front, back, and sides of the head, and a Type II helmet is built for those impacts under ANSI/ISEA Z89.1. OSHA itself chose Type II, Class G safety helmets for its own employees, and contract specs are following.
Why Traditional Hard Hats Were Built For One Direction
For most of the last century, the jobsite hard hat was designed around a single scenario: something falls and hits the top of your head. That is what a Type I hard hat is built for. It is a good answer to a real hazard, and it has prevented a lot of injuries.
It is not the whole picture. Workers trip, fall from ladders, get clipped by a swinging load, or walk into a low beam. Those impacts come in at an angle. A traditional hard hat without a chin strap can also come off in a fall, which means the worker hits the ground with no protection at all.
A Type II helmet protects against blows to the top and sides of the head. That is the exact distinction OSHA draws in its Safety and Health Information Bulletin on safety helmets (SHIB 3-6-2024). Most Type II designs pair the shell with an energy-absorbing liner and a chin strap, so the helmet stays put and manages energy from more than one direction. For the full breakdown, see Type I vs. Type II safety helmets.
What Is Driving The Switch To Type II Helmets
OSHA put it in writing. OSHA's bulletin Head Protection: Safety Helmets in the Workplace lays out the difference between Type I and Type II protection. It also states that after a Job Hazard Analysis of its own work, OSHA determined Type II, Class G safety helmets were the most appropriate head protection for its employees. The bulletin is guidance, not a new regulation. But when the regulator changes what its own people wear, the industry notices.
OSHA's guidance points construction toward Type II. For construction sites with falling objects, impacts from equipment, awkward working positions, or slip, trip, and fall hazards, the same bulletin says to "consider Type II head protection with chin straps." It adds that chin straps should be considered for use with all head protection.
Federal owners are moving. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts are moving crews into modern safety helmets. Read how USACE Savannah District implemented modern safety helmets. Prime contractors who work federal jobs often standardize on Type II for every site so they are not running two helmet programs.
Falls are still killing workers. According to the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released February 19, 2026, falls, slips, and trips killed 844 U.S. workers in 2024. Among construction and extraction workers, 370 of 1,032 deaths were falls, slips, or trips. A fall rarely ends with a clean strike to the crown. Read more in OSHA's Fatal Four and Preventing traumatic brain injuries.
The standard just raised the bar. On September 11, 2026, ISEA released ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2026, which adds optional Type I+ and Type II+ ratings for chin strap and retention performance. Current helmets are not obsolete, but the direction is clear: helmets that stay on in a fall. See Understanding ANSI Z89.1.
Workers will actually wear them. Modern Type II helmets are lighter, better ventilated, and adjust with a dial instead of a pinlock. Crews that grew up wearing bike and ski helmets expect that level of comfort. PPE that is comfortable gets worn all shift, and PPE that gets worn is the only kind that works.
The price gap has narrowed. Type II used to be a premium upgrade. Today there are contractor-grade Type II helmets priced for full-crew rollouts alongside premium models with advanced impact liners and emergency-information chips.
What A Switch To Type II Safety Helmets Looks Like In Practice
- Start with your hazard assessment. OSHA requires employers to assess workplace hazards and select PPE to match (29 CFR 1910.132). Note where lateral impact, falls, and electrical exposure exist.
- Update your written safety plan. Replace generic "hard hat required" language with a specific spec, for example "ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 Type II, Class E where electrical hazards exist, Class G or C elsewhere."
- Check your contracts. Federal statements of work, prime contractor safety plans, and owner requirements may already require Type II.
- Pilot before you buy for the whole company. Put a few models on a crew for two weeks. Fit, weight, and heat decide whether helmets stay on heads.
- Standardize accessories. Pick helmets with accessory rails or slots that fit the face shields, ear protection, and lights your crews already use.
- Train on fit and chin straps. A Type II helmet with an unbuckled chin strap loses much of its advantage in a fall.
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Type II Helmet Key Statistics
- 5,070 fatal work injuries in the U.S. in 2024, one every 104 minutes (BLS CFOI, released February 19, 2026).
- 844 of those deaths were falls, slips, and trips, including 370 among construction and extraction workers (same source).
- Fall Protection (29 CFR 1926.501) was OSHA's most frequently cited standard in fiscal year 2025, October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025 (OSHA Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards).
- Type II, Class G is the head protection OSHA selected for its own employees (OSHA SHIB 3-6-2024).
Related Type II Helmet Products
STUDSON SHK-1 Full Brim (Type II). Koroyd impact core, Twiceme NFC emergency chip, and Fidlock magnetic chin strap. Full Brim Vented (Class C) | Full Brim Non-Vented (Class E)
Hardknock Resolve FullBrim (Type II). Contractor-grade Type II with accessory rails and chin straps. Vented (Class C) | Non-Vented (Class E)
Related Head Protection Resources
Type I vs. Type II safety helmets. Side-by-side comparison of the two ANSI protection types.
Are safety helmets replacing hard hats?. Where the industry stands today.
Understanding ANSI Z89.1. What the helmet standard covers and how to read the label.
Choosing the right safety helmet. How to pick type, class, and fit for your crew.
OSHA head protection standards. What 29 CFR 1910.135 and 1926.100 require.
Frequently Asked Questions About Type II Helmets
Q: Does OSHA require Type II helmets?
A: No. OSHA's head protection rules (29 CFR 1926.100 for construction) can be met with ANSI Z89.1-compliant head protection, and Type I still complies. OSHA's bulletin recommends considering Type II with chin straps on construction sites, and many contracts and employer safety plans now require it. Your contract and your hazard assessment decide what your site needs.
Q: Are Type II helmets hotter than hard hats?
A: Often the opposite. Many Type II helmets are vented and lighter than traditional hard hats. Keep in mind that OSHA says vented helmets cannot be used for electrical work, so use non-vented Class E or Class G models around electrical hazards.
Q: Do we have to replace every hard hat at once?
A: Not unless your contract says so. Many companies phase in Type II as hard hats reach end of service, starting with crews that face the most fall and lateral-impact exposure. See When should a safety helmet be replaced?.
Q: Can Type II helmets take the accessories we already own?
A: Sometimes. Accessory mounts vary by brand, so confirm compatibility for face shields, earmuffs, and lights before you order.
Make The Switch To Type II Helmets Without The Guesswork
BDG Safety helps contractors and agencies spec the right Type II helmet, match it to contract requirements, and roll it out crew by crew. Call (619) 992-7621 or email info@bulldoggroup.net. BDG Safety is a Navy-veteran-founded, certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that supplies Type II safety helmets and PPE to contractors, agencies, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Real people who know the gear, no phone menus. Open a B2B account or see how to buy.
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