Commercial safety helmets offer head protection towards small falling items in working surroundings. In Malaysia, the construction industry is one of the major contributors for loss of life at the place of work. In spite of this fact, the study shows that seven out of ten safety helmets users avoided wearing helmets due to the advanced sense of hotness. This study aims to determine the type of industrial safety helmet use and the thermal perception of the industrial workers. An analytical experimental method was applied. Eighteen volunteers evaluated three different helmet designs. This study shows that active type safety helmet was the most preferred (Mean:4.1 SD:0.758) compare to other types of safety helmet tested and have significant different helmet temperature by ANOVA with a p-value less than 0.001. There is a significant correlation (p-value less than 0.001) of helmet temperature and comfort level of safety helmet with R2= 0.329. Every 1 unit decrease of helmet mean temperature, the comfort scale will increase as much as 0.276. This result is similar to previous research that supports that ventilation improves the comfort level.

The finding of this study suggests that active type safety helmet is most preferred because it has the lowest in helmet temperature. The lower the helmet temperature, the greater the comfort level.