‘Green’ hard hat

Words: Eric Beck, Mark DeasyMSA, a safety products company and producer of industrial hard hats, has developed a "green" protective hard hat manufactured from sugarcane. Unlike conventional hard hats manufactured from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sourced from nonrenewable petrochemicals, the V-Gard GREEN hard hat from MSA is manufactured using green HDPE sourced entirely from sugarcane ethanol. It was developed by MSA in Brazil.

"By developing a hard hat sourced from sugar, we are effectively reducing the overall carbon footprint associated with the life-cycle of this product," says Eric Beck, MSA's global director of strategic marketing.

Beck explained that, through the natural process of photosynthesis, sugarcane cultivation captures CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, according to a 2007 eco-efficiency study conducted by Fundacao Espaco Eco, for every ton of green HDPE produced, about 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide are captured from the atmosphere and environment.

The V-Gard GREEN protective hard hat meets the company's rigorous performance standards as well as those defined by ANSI Z89.1 and CSA Z94.1. Green high-density polyethylene is also 100 percent recyclable in the same stream as conventional HDPE, making it suitable for reuse in non-safety products, and further enhancing the sustainability benefits of the new hard hat. Like traditional V-Gard hard hats, the V-Gard GREEN hard hat will be marked with a recycling label to further remind and educate users to recycle their helmets at the end of the use cycle.

MSA will manufacture its V-Gard GREEN hard hat at the company's Murrysville, Pa., manufacturing facility located near Pittsburgh. For more information, contact Mark Deasy, MSA, 724-741-8570.
About: Safety Featured
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