Making a Comparison: Safety Gear Brands

Walking upright means that, without balance, every step we take teeters the line between life and death— or less dramatically, going forward and falling down. But after 3.6 Million years since scientists believe our ancestors first stood upright, I’d like to think we’ve near mastered the art, babies, and toddlers not included. But when it comes to today’s construction workers, walking on-site poses many dangers. The ever-present threat of injuries and falls makes construction one of the riskiest professions in the United States; it has also spurred the growth of the safety equipment industry, manufacturing the latest and most improved gear to keep workers upright and safe.

With the decade’s boom in safety technology, contractors are often burdened by company advertising and lofty promises. We often wonder— which brand is the best on the market? The answer isn’t so simple. The difficulty with creating a safety brand stems from a basket of variables: weight, comfort, simplicity, versatility, and durability. But most of all, we need to be concerned whether this product can timely and effectively prevent or react to a work-zone hazard. Such as the case with safety harnesses, the harness must be able to mitigate risk by securing the wearing in place while also preparing countermeasures in an unavoidable fall.

Due to steep competition in safety wearables, it’s not enough to simply match OSHA guidelines: products must be innovative and predictive of various situational needs. That’s why some harness brands have created lines of wearables differentiated by work type. GME Guardian brand harnesses take the lead in multiple options and at drastically different price points.

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Of course, it’s important to remember that options and price points may indicate great value, but that doesn’t always guarantee the greatest safety. A work-alone professional that relies on their gear instead of a team would prioritize functional features, like Miller’s H500 Harness made for general construction work. The H500 includes leg, waist, and chest straps to keep the wearer secure. Miller opted for a solid back design to their harness for the ultimate in tangle-free attachments. Its dual front straps are easy to adjust and have buckles made uniquely from aluminum— keeping the Miller construction comfortable harness remarkable lightweight for its large size. Perhaps Miller’s major drawback is price. Miller’s price tags rest on average at least $15 over its competitor’s prices. Some contractors may justify savings for simple applications, but they cannot afford to cut corners for some specialists. The cost of safety has a hierarchy by use.

See MSA’s lengthy catalog of safety and protection gear.

Unfortunately, it appears that “which brand is best for safety” is the wrong question to be asking. No one brand definitively takes the cake when it comes to the best performance in safety gear. In truth, it will always be a subjective answer. That in itself is why the safety market has so much room to grow: user preference. The variety of new products in safety equipment and gear are in response to our demand for the next best thing, with this option or that option. Do we want lightweight aluminum or corrosion-resistant stainless steel? Full coverage face shields or thicker anti-glare goggles? Depending on your equipment use, you know your preference.