Mips AB and MSA Safety, Inc. announced their official partnership, with the intention of amplifying their common goal of elevating helmet safety on worksites.

According to a 2015 study, during a 10-year period, an estimated 586,600 work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) were reported in the United States. With the construction industry having the highest number of fatal and non-fatal workplace-related TBIs out of any industry.

Head protection and proper PPE usage is critical to keeping construction workers safe. Most industrial helmets are designed to only withstand the force of linear impacts, such as impacts that occur to the top of the head. However, most accidents in real life do not occur linearly, but at an angle. Consequently, it can expose your head to rotational motion, which studies have shown can be more dangerous than linear impacts.

Through their partnership, Mips and MSA Safety will join forces to further amplify their efforts in developing helmet-based safety measures for workers. The two industry leaders are currently in the process of developing a prototype together, which will be available to viewers at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo 2023, October 23-25, in New Orleans.

“MSA is excited to partner with Mips to help improve worker safety with OSHA’s number one cited workplace injury, slips trips and falls. We plan to introduce this technology in our new climbing-style helmet product line launching in 2024 in specific geographic regions,” says Rob Willis, Global Product Group Director for Industrial PPE at MSA.

“MSA Safety is a leading global developer and manufacturer of PPE,” says Max Strandwitz, CEO at Mips. “This partnership with them builds upon Mips’ prominence as a leader in the helmet industry, and further amplifies our mission of leading the world to safer helmets.” 

About Mips

Mips specializes in helmet-based safety and is a market leader in this field. Based on an ingredient brand business-model, the Mips® safety system is sold to the global helmet industry. The Mips® safety system is patent protected and based on 25 years of research, testing and development in cooperation with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and the Karolinska Institute, both located in Stockholm, Sweden. The company’s headquarters and the test center are also located there, with more than 80 employees working in research and development, sales, marketing, and administration.

Currently, Mips has partnered with over 150 helmet manufacturers. Since inception, the Mips® safety system has been included in more than 1,000 helmet models worldwide.

About MSA Safety

Established in 1914, MSA Safety Incorporated is the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products and solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures. Many MSA products integrate a combination of electronics, software, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The company’s comprehensive product line is used by workers around the world in a broad range of markets, including fire service, the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, construction, industrial manufacturing applications, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, utilities, mining and the military. MSA’s core products include self-contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems, portable gas detection instruments, industrial head protection products, firefighter helmets and protective apparel, and fall protection devices. With 2022 revenues of $1.5 billion, MSA employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered north of Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township, Pa., and has manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. With more than 40 international locations, MSA realizes approximately half of its revenue from outside North America. For more information visit MSA’s web site at www.MSASafety.com.