A Computational Model for Optimization Design of Construction Helmet

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pan, Christopher S. ; Wimer BM ; Wu, John Z.
• Description:
  Construction helmets are essential personal protective equipment for reducing exposure to traumatic brain injury at work sites. We proposed a finite element modeling approach that would be suitable for engineers to optimize construction helmet design. The model includes essential anatomical structures of a human head (i.e., skin, scalp, skull, cerebrospinal fluid, brain, medulla, spinal cord, cervical vertebrae and discs) and major engineering components of a construction helmet (i.e., shell and suspension system). We demonstrated the evaluation of the performance of a construction helmet using the proposed computational method. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are among the most common severely disabling injuries in the United States; during 2002-2006, approximately 1.7 million cases occurred in civilians annually [1]. Work-related TBIs occur frequently in such industries as construction. A total of 7294 work-related TBI fatalities were identified during 2003-2008, which accounted for 22% of all occupational injury fatalities [2]. Among the leading causes of work-related TBI death, falls and contact with objects/equipment represented 47% [2]. The work-related TBI fatalities due to contact with objects may be reduced by using properly designed and manufactured helmets. Finite element (FE) models have not only been used in the investigation of injury mechanisms [3], but also in the design of head protective systems [9]. For example, Afshari and Rajaari [5] developed FE models to study the protective effectiveness of the helmet during the head-ground impact of a motorcyclist. Teng et al. [6] developed FE models of a bicycle helmet with foam liners and validated their model with impact tests. Although these models included detailed helmet geometries and material properties, they did not include realistic anatomical structures of the human head. Yang and Dai [7] developed FE models to study the ballistic helmet impact; their models included realistic geometries and material properties of the helmet and human head. These models have been further developed by Long et al. [8] to assess the performance of construction helmets. Most of the previous head-brain models are used for frontal impacts and do not include the neck. It is widely believed that the effects of the neck and body mass on the brain responses during short impact intervals (duration less than 7 milliseconds) are negligible [4]; however, the effects of the neck and body mass have not been quantified. Our goal is to develop a practical FE model that would include essential anatomical details of the human head-brain; at same time, it would be small enough to be suitable for engineers to optimize construction helmet design. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Construction Industry Engineering Environmental Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Finite Element Analysis Brain Injury Construction Equipment Design Exposure Levels Falling Objects Fall Protection Falls Head Protective Equipment Helmet Design Injuries Models Personal Protective Equipment PPE Risk Factors TBI Traumatic Brain Injury Work Environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  2227-3085
• Publisher:
  University of Pittsburgh
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050576
• Citation:
  Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Computational and Mathematical Biomedical Engineering - CMBE2017, April 10-12, 2017, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Nithiarasu P, Robertson AM, Boileau E, Sazonov I, Xie X, eds. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh, 2017 Apr; 2:1220-1223
• Contact Point Address:
  John Z.Wu, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown,West Virginia, USA
• Email:
  jwu@cdc.gov
• Editor(s):
  Nithiarasu P; Robertson AM; Boileau E; Sazonov I; Xie X
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Computational and Mathematical Biomedical Engineering - CMBE2017, April 10-12, 2017, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:962ce48bf689df8c4bf892ba8c267397b69c39828d456642dc6823abd6f669a4f8be2c17603cf86db8ac779eb8f43f4cdb746873dd48c2d4c5e0ab143d5e4c83
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210868/cdc_210868_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 222.52 KB ]