This company just unveiled the ‘coolest' hat of the summer
Meteorological summer is underway, and with temperatures on the rise across the United States, people are searching for ways to help stay cool.
This is where a Pennsylvania-based company has stepped in.
MSA, a safety company based out of Pittsburgh, has introduced a new product that will help some people keep their cool, even during the hottest days of the summer.
The invention might not be a traditional ball cap or large-brimmed sun hat, but the company's latest hard hat does more than help to keep the person wearing it safe from occupational hazards.
The custom-built hard hat developed by MSA, called V-Gard C1, was designed not only with safety in mind but also comfortability during the hottest days of the year.
The "cool" hat is outfitted with vents for airflow, a wider brim than most other comparable hats and a thermal barrier inside that work in unison to reduce the temperature under the hat by as much as 20 degrees.
"It works by stopping the sun's infrared rays from penetrating the shell of the hard hat," Dennis Capizzi, the marketing manager for MSA, told AccuWeather's Bill Wadell in an interview.
A 20-degree difference can be a game-changer for construction workers outside working during the dog days of summer in a city.
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The V-Gard C1 hard hat is designed to keep workers safe and cool. ((MSA) |
Heat has become a growing danger in the workplace, especially for those who endure the heat on a regular basis.
Marty Walsh, the U.S. Secretary of Labor, recently said that it was "no coincidence" that the number of heat-related workplace deaths has doubled since the early 1990s.
"Eighteen of the last 19 summers have been the hottest summers recorded on record," Walsh added.
With heat-related injuries and illnesses on the rise, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has taken an unprecedented step ahead of impending summer heat waves.
Earlier this year, OSHA launched a nationwide enforcement mechanism that allows the agency to inspect worksites to help reduce the number of heat-related injuries or illnesses that occur.
A 2021 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor found that on average, there were 38 heat-related fatalities every year from 2011 to 2019.
With these statistics in mind, OSHA is encouraging employers across the country to provide employees with more water, more breaks and more shaded areas to help outside workers stay cool.
"The danger is only increasing as climate change becomes a climate crisis," Walsh added.
Reporting by Bill Wadell
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