 Researchers at Virginia Tech are working to establish a system that can rate the safety of hard hats. The university's helmet lab broke ground 13 years ago by releasing the first independent safety rating for varsity football helmets. Now, the lab is undertaking an 18-month study to develop safety ratings for construction helmets. The work will focus on how well commercially available hard hats protect their wearers. The researchers hope their work will result in fewer injuries and deaths on work sites.