High-Tech Hard Hat
The MIPS brain-protection system, a safety feature commonly found in bicycle, motocross, and equestrian helmets, is now making construction job sites safer.
The business of protecting peoples’ noggins from the perils of construction is taking a leap forward. The Swedish company MIPS, founded by a brain researcher and a neurosurgeon, has partnered with the Swedish industrial safety company Guardio to make a safer hard hat. Glancing blows to a typical hard hat’s unyielding suspension system can cause damaging rotation to the brain; MIPS’s new hat reduces the possibility of damage with their low-friction material that allows the suspension to pivot slightly on the head when the impact isn’t directly to the top. This improved protective headgear is already being used in sports as varied as motocross, snowboarding, bicycling, and horseback riding. The first versions for construction debut in January—no word yet on pricing.
Patrick McCombe, senior editor
Photos: courtesy of the manufacturers
From Fine Homebuilding #285
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