Eric Thomas, an installation supervisor with McLean Ventilation in Livingstone, Scotland, always wore an MSA V-Gard II hardhat (made in the United Kingdom) on various onshore construction projects throughout the U.K. and offshore in Africa and Central America.

He was working on a project in June when he fell about three meters onto the steel deck of an offshore accommodation module bound for the Gulf of Mexico.

"Although I suffered some fairly serious injuries – fractured sternum, neck injury, and a few stitches to the back of the head – I am sure had it not been for my V-Gard Cap staying in position during the fall and withstanding the initial impact with the deck, I would not be writing this letter today," Thomas wrote, thanking us via E-mail recently.

Note from product manager Jim Byrnes: "Although we are pleased to hear the degree of protection Mr. Thomas believes he received, our Type I V-Gard Cap is designed to protect wearers from the impact of falling objects. It is not meant to provide fall protection for the head, and that should not be expected."