Can Industrial Helmets Protect the Head in Simulated Falls and Trips?

Rachel Jia Ying Tan, Xiancheng Yu, Mazdak Ghajari

Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2026

Abstract

PURPOSE: Falls and trips are a leading cause of work-related traumatic brain injuries, yet the protective performance of industrial helmets in such scenarios remains poorly understood. This study assesses the effectiveness of different industrial helmet designs under impact conditions representative of falls and trips. METHODS: Six industrial helmets with different designs were tested. Four were suspension-based models compliant with EN 397, including two versions of the same model, one with and one without the rotation reduction system, MIPS. Two additional helmets were foam-based, meeting both EN 397 and EN 12492 standards. Helmets were dropped onto angled anvils at different speeds and impact locations to simulate trips and falls. Tests were conducted on two surface types: P80 abrasive papers and roof shingles. The new EN 17950 headform was used. RESULTS: Helmet performance varied by design and impact condition. Foam-based helmets offered better protection against impacts than suspension-based helmets, which showed greater sensitivity to impact location. Front impacts near the rim at 5.5 m/s produced the highest severity, with peak linear accelerations exceeding 700 g for some…

Cite as (BibTeX)

@article{tan-2026-can-industrial-helmets-protect,
  title={Can Industrial Helmets Protect the Head in Simulated Falls and Trips?},
  author={Rachel Jia Ying Tan and Xiancheng Yu and Mazdak Ghajari},
  journal={Annals of Biomedical Engineering},
  year={2026},
  doi={10.1007/s10439-026-04013-z}
}