S2-E24: Hard Hats vs Helmets: The Jobsite Debate Nobody Wants to Have

Summary

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The Deep End with Eric Triplett

Episode S2-E24: Hard Hats vs Helmets: The Jobsite Debate Nobody Wants to Have
Date: March 11, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Eric Triplett—“The Pond Digger” and long-time tradesman—dives into a contentious but crucial topic for contractors: traditional hard hats versus modern construction helmets. Eric explores why so many in the trades are resistant to change, even when it comes to personal safety, and brings in a representative from Kako America to break down the evolution and real-world impact of new helmet technology. The conversation is candid, technically informative, and grounded in Eric's own passionate advocacy for jobsite safety.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Identity Crisis": Hard Hats vs. Helmets (00:45–03:52)

• Eric opens with a frank discussion about the culture of hard hats—how many contractors either avoid them, wear them reluctantly, or treat them as a requirement only at certain events.
• He admits his own love for hard hats, wearing them not only in construction but while biking or skateboarding.
• Eric acknowledges the “image” factor but quickly reframes: “Does cool really matter that much? The coolest thing...is actually making it home safe to your family.” (03:28)

2. Breaking Down Safety Standards (03:57–06:44)

• Kako America Representative explains the difference between old-school hard hats (Type 1, top-only impact protection) and the new helmet-style headgear (Type 1 and Type 2, with chin strap and side impact protection).
  • “What a hard hat was is a type 1 protector. That means…that’s where it’s designed to absorb the energy of the impact. So here’s the problem...It did a crummy job of that.” (03:57)
• Motivation for change is rooted in insurance data and brain injury statistics, even if contractors may not see immediate risk.

3. The Chin Strap Debate: Why “Cool” Doesn’t Matter (04:54–09:11)

• New helmets feature chin straps to prevent them from falling off during accidents—a major upgrade, but a source of resistance among crews who find them uncomfortable or unnecessary.
  • “By holding this helmet in place, you’re going home with this helmet in place.” (04:59)
• Insurance requirements are driving adoption, not just regulations: “You got a choice, man. You can buy regular hard hats and here’s your insurance rate, or here’s your insurance rate with the new safety helmet.” (05:46)

4. Accessory Compatibility and Helmet Features (06:54–10:03)

• Modern helmets have built-in clips, slots, and adaptability for visors, lights, face shields, and ear/welding protection.
  • “This is one of the benefits of these helmets over a hard hat…with one of these, you could have a light, a goggle, a visor and a strap fender.” (07:25)
• Chin straps are discussed further for their functional, not just symbolic, benefit: “If you trip, you fall, your helmet rolls off, you bash your head. Now we’ve got a big problem.” (08:04)

5. Temperature and Comfort: The Koroyd Honeycomb Innovation (10:45–12:29)

• Kako America’s helmet replaces traditional Styrofoam with a Koroyd honeycomb structure, making the helmet lighter and an average of 8–10ºF cooler inside.
  • “Our helmet is 8.11 degrees cooler than any other helmet on the market...because we've eliminated styrofoam.” (11:11)
• Highlights occupational health as a priority: “Heat stress is an enormous concern…we’re the only ones addressing it on the head.” (20:46)

6. Standards, Insurance, and What’s Coming Next (12:31–16:36)

• ANSI standards are under review, with new requirements (Type 1, Type 2, and chin strap “plus” classes) likely to be enforced soon, driven more by insurance companies than OSHA.
  • “The safest helmet out there is the one you're going to wear. As long as it's on your head, that's the safest helmet out.” (13:01)
• Insurance companies are conducting spot checks even for small crews and setting practice standards.
  • “For the first time ever, you’re seeing small independent companies dressed for the safety prom.” (15:22)

7. Field Stories & Contractor Mindset (21:03–25:10)

• Contractors in specialty fields (like pond or landscape construction) often neglect hard hats, rationalizing risk or mocking safety advocates.
• Eric shares anecdotes—including one about a friend who ignored safety routines, was knocked out by an excavator boom, and now has lasting health issues.
  • “And you’re still gonna talk shit about me wearing a hard hat? What’s wrong with you?” (24:11, Eric Triplett)
• The segment closes on why it’s essential to overcome stubbornness for long-term wellbeing.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Eric Triplett: “The coolest thing on a job isn’t the hard hat. The coolest thing is actually making it home safe to your family, your friends, your goals and your dreams...” (03:28)
• Kako America Rep: “The safest helmet out there is the one you're going to wear. As long as it's on your head, that's the safest helmet out.” (13:01)
• Kako America Rep (on American resistance): “But we as red-blooded Americans have the right to wait to the very last second for anything. That's our right.” (14:20)
• Eric (story about helmet accidents): “He turns quickly and was gonna get back in the machine and knocked himself out on the boom...And now he takes thyroid medication because he hit his head so hard.” (24:00)
• Kako America Rep: "Find out some other stories. I'm sure there's some pretty interesting takes on things." (25:21)

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:45 | Eric lays out why the helmet debate matters to him | | 03:52 | Introduction of Kako America Rep, start of technical discussion| | 04:45 | Insurance as a driver for helmet standards | | 07:04 | Features/accessories unique to modern helmets | | 11:10 | Discussion of Koroyd honeycomb and heat stress | | 13:01 | “The safest helmet out there is the one you’re going to wear” | | 15:03 | Insurance companies enforcing safety, even for small teams | | 21:03 | Field stories—danger in everyday moments, peer resistance | | 24:00 | Eric’s anecdote: real-life consequences of ignoring PPE | | 27:01 | Eric’s closing summary and safety message |

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Language and Tone

• Candid, blunt, and accessible
• Culturally aware of construction “machismo” and skepticism toward safety trends
• Grounded in technical knowledge, with stories that emphasize emotional and practical stakes
• Occasional humor and irreverence, especially when discussing resistance in the trades

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Eric Triplett’s Final Takeaway (27:01)

“Contractors love tradition. They love craftsmanship...But every once in a while, something comes along and actually ticks the needle forward...Construction helmets...I think are one of those things. So, yeah, they look a little different...But the reality is simple. The strap keeps that helmet where it belongs when things go wrong. And that’s one small difference. That could be the reason someone makes it home safely...At the end of the day, the coolest look on the job site isn’t old school or new school. The coolest look is longevity. And I’m going home to my family, and I want you to go home to your family, too.”

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Key Resources Mentioned

• Kako America Helmets: cacoamerica.com
• TWT Contractor Circle: Free Facebook group for contractor networking
• Contractor Sales Secrets: contractorsalesecrets.com

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Summary

If you’re a contractor, crew leader, or trades professional, this episode delivers a no-BS, eye-level conversation about the evolving world of jobsite head protection—from industry inertia to insurance pressures, real accident stories to tech upgrades like the Koroyd honeycomb. Eric’s message is clear: your head—and your homecoming—matter more than “looking cool.” The future of jobsite PPE is arriving, and complacency is no longer safe.

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Transcript

[Eric Triplett]

Welcome to the Deep End with Eric Triplett, the pond digger. This is the show for contractors, tradesmen and entrepreneurs who want more from their business and from themselves. Eric brings decades of experience as a seven figure contractor with expertise in leadership, sales systems, and the discipline it takes to build something real. Shaped by years in the aquatics world, his insights are rooted in precision, craftsmanship and performance. If you're done skimming the surface and ready to go deeper, it's time to dive in.

Hey, rockstars, it's Triplett here. Welcome back to the Deep End. Listen, today we're going to talk about something that a huge percent of contractors absolutely hate and quite frankly bore a lot of people. But it's hard hats, you know, and for me, I don't know, it kind of gets me psyched out of my mind. I love hard hats. I've been wearing hard hats in the field for over 25 years. I wear a helmet when I'm out mountain biking all the time. Wore helmets when I was skateboarding. So it's, it's not new to me. It's fairly common. But you know exactly what I'm talking about. Half the guys on the job site either don't want to wear them, aren't wearing them, or they're wearing them because someone made them. You know, and in the pond construction world, we've been wearing them for almost three decades. And, you know, know, it's interesting because a lot of pond contractors, like, totally against it, but maybe if they're on a, you know, public workshop, they might have to wear them or something to that effect. But I think I've wore off on some of those guys a little bit. And sometimes they'll wear them because I've just been to all the trade shows and the big events wearing my hard hat, even if I'm the only guy out there doing it, you know. But, you know, when I mentioned construction helmets to one of my best friends, I. I don't know how new they are really, but because the tree guys use them all the time because they're climbing in their branches or hitting their helmets, but it has a strap on them, right? But I mentioned this, these construction helmets to one of my best friends, a guy who literally wears a hard at every day. He looked at me with pure disgust that he was. He literally said, dude, I hate those helmets. But here's the thing. Those helmets, they're not necessarily just some new trend. They're actually a massive upgrade in safety compared to old school hard hat technology. Not only from the impact, but, um, in the way that they

[Podcast Announcer]

can stay attached.

[Eric Triplett]

If you're climbing up scaffolding or you're up and down out of ponds or over in and out of ladders and, and, or potentially hanging over roofs to do something like that, that strap makes a, a real big difference. So that, you know, I mean, I, I really believe that chin strap alone changes everything. And that's actually the thing that is the pitfall to it that's going to keep all the contractors away from wanting to do it. But you know, from falls to impacts to slips, that helmet actually head when things go sideways. Now I'll be honest, at first glance, they don't look as cool as the classic hard hat. But for me, it doesn't really bother me. Like I said, I'm wearing a hard hat all the time when I'm out on my mountain bike skateboarding for years, all that stuff always had a chin strap helmet style. Right? But listen, if we're really being honest, does cool really matter that much? I mean, the coolest thing on a job isn't the hard hat. The coolest thing is actually making it home safe to your family, your friends, your goals and your dreams that you have in life. So today we're going to dive in a little bit deeper because you know how I love my hard hats. Into the world of modern job site protection with Kako America and pushing construction safety forward with helmet systems that are built for the way contractors actually work. Let's get into it.

[James]

So tell me, what's the difference between these, these hard hats that you have? Can I call it a hard hat or a safety helmet?

[Kako America Representative]

Can call them both. The thing that we wore our whole life is a hard hat.

[James]

Okay.

[Kako America Representative]

And what a hard hat was is a type 1 protector. That means right here, this very area, that's where it's designed to absorb the energy of the impact.

[James]

The center of the top.

[Kako America Representative]

The center of the top. That's it. So here's the problem with it. It did a crummy job of that. So it only protected, I don't know what the numbers are, but it protected this much from the energy going into your brain.

[James]

Like an inch and a half. Okay.

[Kako America Representative]

That's all it.

[James]

We have no video going. I just wanted this mainly an audio file. So I want to make sure we talk in audio too.

[Kako America Representative]

Sure. So what the issue is here is that people were getting brain injuries that they had no idea about. And how would you know? Because the problem is you sit there, you take a hit to the head and you're like Man, I feel fine. I'm going to go back to work. And you weren't fine. You find out 20 years later that I had a brain rotation, I had a concussion. And the insurance companies are paying for that and they're not real fond of it.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay?

[Kako America Representative]

So the insurance companies were put in the lobby together and say, we need better protectors. You got to protect your folks better from brain injuries. So what they did is they came out with new helmets.

[James]

Do we have any, do we have any percentages of brain injuries on job sites?

[Kako America Representative]

I don't off the top of my head. Okay, I'm sorry, okay. But it was enormous enough to make a, make wholesale change for the first time in 80 years. They came out with new helmets. These came out of Europe climbing style helmets with the chin straps. By holding this helmet in place, you're going home with this helmet in place. Excuse me. As well as putting in a different, better protector, impact absorber, you're going to reduce brain injuries by an absurd amount. Now here's the second problem. It's still type 1. It still only protects here from an energy absorption system. What if it happens? If you get hit on the side of the helmet, you're not protected from the brain standpoint. So what we're seeing folks do is they want type 2 protectors and a type 2 protector is going to protect the front, the back, the side, the top. No matter where you're going to get hit on this helmet, it's going to absorb the energy, the impact and prevent it from getting to your brain. Not completely eliminate the possibility, of course, but do a enormous job. So the insurance companies are highly suggesting name mandating that you're going to use this. You got a choice, man. You can buy regular hard hats and here's your insurance rate or here's your insurance rate with the new safety helmet.

[James]

When do you think that's happening?

[Kako America Representative]

It's happening now. The ANSI standard for head protection is under public review right now.

[Eric Triplett]

Really?

[Kako America Representative]

And it's going to be signed off in the next couple months.

[James]

Where's the ANSI rating on this? I don't see it.

[Kako America Representative]

ANSI rating is going to be somewhere in the front of the helmet. It's going to be in. This small print is going to be engraved in there.

[James]

What's the, what's the, There's a timeline on these guys. They expire, right?

[Kako America Representative]

They do expire. Shelf Life is a 10 year shelf life. However, we warranty it for 3 years for manufacturer defect. That said, myself and all of our competitors highly Suggest that if you work outdoors for a living, you're swapping your helmets out every two and a half to three years.

[James]

Okay.

[Kako America Representative]

Reason being, we don't know what the UV is doing to it.

[James]

Okay.

[Kako America Representative]

You could store yours in the trunk of the car. You could store yours in the front seat of the car. Yours is going to go bad. For

[James]

what are these little clips right here for attachments?

[Kako America Representative]

You're correct. Front and back clips are going to secure a strap. Maybe you have a goggle, maybe you have a light that has a strap. It's going to secure that in place.

[James]

Oh, so you just pop it out

[Eric Triplett]

like that, throw the strap.

[Kako America Representative]

Okay, we've got. And these helmets for almost all of us have pretty standard ear defender slot, which is also used for welding hood attachments. But the forward facing slot, that's where you're going to put some additional accessories like visors, like face shields, like best face shields, etc. And basically, as long as your accessory fits with that slide, go to it. This slot in the front could fit a light. But if you got another accessory that you want there, great. This is one of the benefits of these helmets over a hard hat. As you see from the traditional hard hat, the full brim version here, it's going to be real hard to get an accessory on here. There's no clips to hold the strap in place or anything like that. With one of these, you could have a light, a goggle. You could have a visor and a strap fender.

[James]

I'm sorry, do they work without a strap? Because, you know, I just wonder if my, my team would be like, I don't want this strap on here. It makes me hot.

[Kako America Representative]

You know, the team's not going to want the strap. Who wants to. Who wants to be more constricted? But it makes an enormous difference. I'll put it this way, it makes an enormous difference in keeping the protection in play. Take a type 1, for example. All those hard hats, all that time the guys are wearing it and hey, let's say they get a. Let's say the object is coming down. It hits them right here. And you say, boy, they should be protected, right? It's right in that protection zone. But as it's hitting, the hard hat is rotating, and now the energy really came in, in here where they're not protected. So. So even though you thought, well, gosh, it hit me right at the top of the head, I should be fine, right? Your helmet, your heart had rotated. By putting that strap in place, you're going to. You're going to keep the energy of the impact where it's supposed to be. The other part is the number one injury in every single workplace. Your office building, wherever is trips and falls. And if you trip, you fall, your helmet rolls off, you bash your head. Now we've got a big problem. Okay, so they, the chin straps are there for a specific reason. Anybody also working at heights in a windy area, forget it. Your helmet blows off on your top of a windmill. There goes half a day's worth of work.

[James]

Okay.

[Kako America Representative]

Okay.

[James]

You know, so all these other attachments like for the visor, this is a completely different helmet. Or can this pop on and off all the helmets?

[Kako America Representative]

They pop on and off all the helmets.

[James]

This does right here.

[Kako America Representative]

Yeah, sure does.

[Podcast Announcer]

Are you a contractor looking for growth training and to level up your contracting business? If so, join the TWT Contractor Circle. It's our free Facebook group where like minded professionals go to share insights of success, strategies for growth and a place to find some accountability. In fact, we have a powerful accountability call every Friday with a live Q and A session at the end. And whether you're seeking advice, collaboration or just a supportive community, this is a place for you request to join today and start building a valuable connection with me as well as our amazing network of contractors. Tango Whiskey Tango. That's TWT Contractor Circle on Facebook. I'll see you on the inside.

[Eric Triplett]

Now back to the show.

[Kako America Representative]

We really outfitted this one for the.

[James]

I didn't do that one.

[Kako America Representative]

Yeah, here we go. So this particular helmet, if my facial, my, my visor gets dirty or all of a sudden it's really bright on, I want the smoke one, I pop it off, it's a clip system which just rips out.

[James]

And this little clip. Oh yeah, I see it, I see that, I see the spot now that

[Kako America Representative]

pops out and pops into there. But that clip can generally stay in place as you put in the face shield, divisor, whatever.

[James]

And this is, this is General Electric.

[Kako America Representative]

We are a licensee for General Electric. We are the, I believe, the third ever Greenfield licensee for them. Our company is Caco America and we have been in the industry for 40 years. I'm a 32 year industry veteran. Okay. I don't look that old. Right.

[James]

What's up with this honeycomb thing in here? Like that, does that go bad? You know the honeycomb piece on the top and then the type 2 for the sides.

[Kako America Representative]

Honeycomb doesn't go bad. It is bad. That's how it works. Every single helmet out there, these safety helmets, they all use Styrofoam is the impact absorbing system which works, it will save your life and absorb the energy of the impact. But it's 70 year old technology. The green material that we've partnered with is not ours. It's called Koroyd. They're partners with the biggest ski and bike helmets out there. They're going to do a fantastic job of absorbing the energy, the impact. They're going to be very lightweight, which is why our helmet is amongst the lightest in the industry. But here's how we use it. Because we have no Styrofoam whatsoever, we're releasing some of the heat. Our helmet is 8.11 degrees cooler than any other helmet on the market. And it's simply because we've eliminated Styrofoam in the, in the insulin, in the insulation that Styrofoam provides.

[James]

So the Styrofoam's heating you up?

[Kako America Representative]

Absolutely. Styrofoam is what you use to keep your beer cold and your Ubereats hot. It's a fantastic insulator. You say your beer cold, soda cold.

[James]

Yeah.

[Kako America Representative]

Or you're keep your soda cold or, you know, or your Uber eats hot. It's a fantastic insulator, but you don't want an insulator when you're sweating and trying to get rid of that heat from your body. Every helmet is going to make you hotter. Okay. It's 70ambient degrees in this room right now. And if you put on any helmet on this show on your head, you're going to be 95 inside that helmet in 15 minutes. We're going to. Exactly. We're going to raise you as well, but we're going to raise you to 85 instead of 95. So it's, it's a coma, not 10.1.

[James]

I'm sorry, you said 8.1, not 10.1.

[Kako America Representative]

Well, our helmet is 8.11 degrees cooler for a type 2. For our type 1, which is right here for 10.92 degrees cooler.

[James]

When do you go from a type 1 to type 2?

[Kako America Representative]

Type 1 is primarily used by people working at heights, people climbing cell phone towers, windmills and arborists. Those can use Type 1 protectors. But the insurance companies, if you're working on the ground for a living, they're going to want to see Type two.

[James]

But that's not yet, right? It's under review, Is that what you're saying?

[Kako America Representative]

Well, yes and no. So basically the ANSI standard in almost any.

[James]

This one's sick.

[Kako America Representative]

You still have your old.

[James]

Let me see this. Now. We're talking this one looks cool, actually.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay.

[Kako America Representative]

The safest helmet out there is the one you're going to wear. As long as it's on your head, that's the safest helmet out.

[James]

Well, I mean, we wear hard hats all the time.

[Kako America Representative]

Yeah, we were asking about the standards. So basically ANSI is kind of wimpy in a certain regard. ANSI's always going to say, you, the employer, must decide what the correct protection for your job is. Well, the employer is generally choosing type 2. And the reason is the insurance company said, we will not underwrite you or you will not get a rate that's worth a darn unless you have type two protectors. So that's really what's happening now. What, they're going to have three classes of helmets coming out. It's going to be type 1, type 1, type 2, plus the plus sign means you have a chin strap. What areas can you not wear a chin strap? There are several places where people wear hard hats on a voluntary basis. For example, a lot of manufacturing facilities. You're just not seeing any place where you could possibly get that injury. But some folks are going to simply say, this is a best practice. I want hard hats on my people. Well, gosh, you don't need a chin strap, then it's a voluntary thing. But if the hazard says, if the hazard says you need, you need head protection for this hazard, you're going to have a chin strap. Interesting. It's coming. But we as red blooded Americans have the right to wait to the very last second for anything. That's our right.

[James]

What's this logo right here?

[Kako America Representative]

This logo is one of our partners as the International Arborist Institute. These guys are the premier training agency in the south and the south and in California for arborists. They do amazing safety training programs. They are tried and true. They're amazing.

[James]

So arborists are using this. That makes sense for them to have a chinstrap and they're climbing up in the trees.

[Kako America Representative]

And they were amongst the first to incorporate that. But arborists got to step the game up too. What's interesting is that's pretty dope. You know, Nancy makes standards that OSHA enforces. Now look, you got a better chance of seeing the Lord than seeing OSHA show up at a, at a small residential builder or at the Jiffy Lube down the street.

[James]

Amen.

[Kako America Representative]

And it's not going to happen. But what is happening for the first time ever is their insurance companies are coming and doing spot inspecting on their four employee companies saying, look, if you're not working safely. I'm not underwriting you. So for the first time ever, you're seeing small independent companies dressed for the safety prom. Yeah, it's, you know, hey, it's a 32 year safety industry veteran. I'm happy to see it because at the end of the day, you know, it's all about going home to your wife and kids in one piece. Yeah, that's what it's about for sure.

[James]

What's that hat that I just. That helmet that I just like? That one's pretty dope.

[Kako America Representative]

You know what, it's the, it's the very same thing, but it's a carbon fiber design, so it's not actually.

[James]

What about that attachment, that rim in the front and back?

[Kako America Representative]

Right. This is a full brim attachment. Okay. We're going to come out with an official full brim, permanent full brim. But in the meanwhile, we take our conditional helmet and we simply pop on an adapter and you've got a full brim.

[James]

So this is a prototype right now?

[Kako America Representative]

No, this is an official. This is a working ready to sell model.

[James]

Okay. We'll help the old guys transition. Yeah, yeah.

[Kako America Representative]

Acclimate. I agree with you. I agree with you. And, and it's helped us quite a bit. So our initial thing of this is we tapered it in on the side so you can still use the ear protector put on your welding hood. But figure one of the negatives to a full brim. Well, I mean, it's amazing for the sun protection, especially in the southern states, but one of the negatives is you lose your field of vision if you're climbing a ladder. Take this off, Climb the ladder, put it on. If you're in an area where you don't have a whole lot of moving room, it's a confined space. Take this off, put it back on. When you go back outside, you've got that option with us. We're the only ones who have this adapter today.

[James]

G8. So there's GH400 type 1 and then GH500 type 2. That's the 500 type 2 I like. Right?

[Kako America Representative]

Okay.

[James]

Yeah, it's pretty, pretty cool stuff. And how do we buy these? Just buy them online. Duplic. You have distributors?

[Kako America Representative]

We work with a variety of distributors nationwide. And, you know, for customers who just need a. A few, we sell off our website as well. Whatever works best for the customer.

[James]

What's the website?

[Kako America Representative]

Our website is cacoamerica.com Cao Cao America.com. so if you just need A couple buy from ourselves. You're looking for a bulk quote, let's talk to your favorite safety distributor.

[James]

Okay, so you deal with like in Southern California, we deal with like white

[Kako America Representative]

cap, white caps distributor. Absolutely.

[James]

Okay, cool. So they, they, I haven't seen those in stock. I just bought, I just spent two grand on helmets for my team.

[Kako America Representative]

Whitecap's got a limited amount of space. They can't stock everybody. And frankly, most of the helmets that are sold, maybe 70, 75% of them are customized and they want. That's a special order. Regardless, you know, they're not going to send me the helmet to customize and send it back. We're just going to say customize it from your, your warehouse and ship it

[James]

so that you guys customize them at your place with logos on the top of them. You sure do that.

[Kako America Representative]

You sure do. You see sail from GE and XL Energy. And these are just some. I just put up a logo to put up a logo here. But that's our fitting instructions. Just scan here for a 20 second video to fit. You'll see some other customers on the other side as well. Okay. IAI cool.

[James]

How much is that? That GH500 type 2 running your retail

[Kako America Representative]

price is 139 for the base model. It's an additional 20 retail for the full brim adapter.

[James]

These little ones are so much more money than those. If these are better, I literally just spent 180, 200 bucks a piece. 220 maybe.

[Podcast Announcer]

Hey, it's triplet here. Listen. In a world where quality is often overlooked, Helix Life support stands proud bringing you American made excellence for your koi ponds and water gardens. And I want you to know I worked in the field for over 15 years and had professionally built nearly a thousand ponds before I designed my own proprietary filtration equipment. So trust and believe when I say that Helix Life Support is a product line that was crafted for those who demand durability, advanced technology and a deep commitment to fish friendly designs. Now at the heart of the product line is our patented award winning Helix pond skimmer. Built with the safety for your koi and other fish as our top priority. No sharp edges, no unnecessary risks. Just an innovative fish friendly skimmer you can trust. And every piece of Helix equipment that's made is with high quality materials so you can get a filtration system that's as tough and reliable as it is efficient. Whether you're a first time pond builder or professional contractor looking to elevate your game, my team and I are ready to Help you realize that vision for personalized pond design assistance or to get your hands on, on Helix Life Support filtration equipment. Give us a call today at 800-522-5043. That's 800-522-5043. Support American craftsmanship and choose Helix Life support for your pond. Built for koi. Built for life.

[Eric Triplett]

Built for you.

[James]

Why are these better and less money?

[Kako America Representative]

I don't have an answer. I can't decide what anybody else's margin requirements are right now.

[James]

I'm literally annoyed.

[Kako America Representative]

I can't comment on anybody else's margin requirements. You know, but the retail price meets our particular margin requirements. We're not, you know, we're not in business to gouge anybody. You know, first and foremost, it's really all about making everybody safe for us. There's look, there's 50 helmets here. We all pass the same standards, right? And we got 50 different stories. And some of those stories are pretty darn good. Our story is heat stress reduction. And when you talk to the other 49 companies, nobody's going to bring that up because we're the only ones who don't use foam. So that's our story. That's what we're going with. Occupational health and safety. Heat stress is an enormous concern. It's a marquee issue. If you go to the National Safety Congress or an American Society of Safety Professionals conference, you're going to see heat stress management everywhere. Have you ever. We grew up. It was Gatorade you drank, or maybe Gatorade and Squincher. There are no less than 50 different, you know, electrolyte brands. Because it's so important. It's such. It's such a marquee issue, and we're the only ones addressing it on the head. That's today. Yeah, I hope nobody does in the meanwhile.

[James]

So I'm in landscape. I'm a landscape contractor. It's my business. And so we specialize. Our niche is pond construction. So we're in four or five foot deep ponds. Excuse me? We're in four or five foot deep ponds.

[Kako America Representative]

How many jokes do you get? A pool or a pond. Pond is good for you. How many times do you get that joke thrown at you? I don't get the Caddyshack joke.

[James]

No, I don't know that joke.

[Kako America Representative]

What Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. What's the joke movie? Caddyshack. Like the best movie of all time. And when Chevy Chase and Bill Murray are there and Bill Murray says, oh, you got a pool of trash right? I can come over and use the pool. He says, I got a pool in a pond. You know, the pond would be good for you. I don't remember.

[James]

I don't remember that part. That's amazing. That's amazing. Okay. But, you know, I'm in four or five foot deep ponds sometimes it's only a three foot deep pond and you got guys working above and we're using a lot of machinery, all right. You know, like, so we'll use a mini X and we'll be setting big rocks and things of that nature. And my industry as a general, like, I'm one of the very few contractors across the country that wear hard hats. I advocate hard hats. And, you know, so what do you say to those pond guys out there? They're like, well, if you drop a rock on your head, you're going to die anyways. But I'm trying to tell them it's not the rock, it's a little bolt off the chain that's coming off the machine or something like that. What am I saying to them?

[Kako America Representative]

Right? It's all about the newtons of force that are coming in at you. It's similar to fall protection with the folks working at heights. I mean, gosh, if I fell six feet, I'm going to put in over £6,000 of force on my organs. You know, for me, falling six feet at my £215. Right. So again, that bolt, that bolt dropping, that bolt dropping in my hand from, from a foot, not an issue at all. That bolt dropping on my hand for 20ft. It's a big issue. The amount of force is there on your head. It's a much bigger issue still, God forbid that bolt were to drive into your skull and we may not be having a conversation anymore.

[James]

Yeah.

[Kako America Representative]

You know, I think people in general, we just don't recognize our mortality. And I get it. You know, your guys know their job. They wouldn't work in this very specialized field for you if they didn't know their job in and out. But they don't know the weather and they don't necessarily know the guy next to them and they don't know how the guy or what was spilled the day before on the, on the concrete that they're working and that it causes slip and fall. These are all variables that they don't know that can impact their health and safety. So, you know, the whole idea first is, number one, don't knock that booth over.

[James]

I can't take him anywhere.

[Kako America Representative]

The number one goal is if you can possibly engine out engineer out the hazard. You engineer out the hazard. Second step is to use personal protective equipment. Right? But you don't know every hazard you work around. You simply don't. So just protect yourself.

[James]

Here's. Here's a little tidbit of information for you. Like one of my. One of my buddies, he still doesn't wear a hard hat today. He talks shit about it all the time, but he's usually in the excavator so he feels safe. But one time he jumped off the excavator to kind of push the guys around and tell him, hey, I need you to do this, do that. And the boom was down and he was in a hurry, and so he turns quickly and was going to get back in the machine and knocked himself out on the boom. Just hit his head, fell to the ground. And now he takes thyroid medication because he hit his head so hard and it jacked him up. And then I'm like. And you're still gonna talk shit about me wearing a hard hat? What's wrong with you?

[Kako America Representative]

No, honey, the boom hit me in the head and that's why I have herpes. Really? That's what happened?

[Eric Triplett]

Thyroid.

[Kako America Representative]

I mean, where do you come up with that? That's how I got him, honey.

[James]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Kako America Representative]

It's great. Well, that's it. I mean, none of us. None of us really know what's gonna happen. That's the whole concept behind ppe, you know. But now you've got this direct incident that happened in your circle of people, directly relay the story and it can happen to the other guy and you know what? You want no part of it. If just wearing this hard hat is going to eliminate that possibility and make sure that when it's time to retire, that you get to do it the right way and you get to play golf and travel and do what you want to do in one piece. That's what it's about. And it's just. It's a hard hat, man.

[James]

Yeah.

[Kako America Representative]

This is not a big deal. Don't make it a big deal. Yeah.

[James]

You know, James, thanks for your time. That was a really cool topic. You know, when I talk about hard hats and safety to, you know, on podcasts, sometimes people just go, what are you doing, bro? Because I'm passionate about this. I want. I want my team to be safe. And I appreciate your time.

[Kako America Representative]

I appreciate you. Like I said, There's 50 other really good stories out there where the heat stress story, but find out some other stories. I'm sure there's Some. Some pretty interesting takes on things.

[James]

Okay. Awesome, man. Thanks so much.

[Podcast Announcer]

Contractors. If you're sick and tired of not making enough money, you might suck at

[Eric Triplett]

sales and you don't even know it.

[Podcast Announcer]

Or worse, you suck at sales and you. You actually think you're good. Before you get upset with me, I sucked at sales, too. And for a long time.

[James]

Here's the difference.

[Podcast Announcer]

I pulled my head out of the sand and I forced the change.

[Eric Triplett]

That's why I know what you're up

[Podcast Announcer]

against and how you, too, can turn

[Eric Triplett]

things around for you and your family.

[James]

I'm not going to sugarcoat it.

[Eric Triplett]

I got really uncomfortable. I trained hard.

[Podcast Announcer]

I studied books and podcasts, videos, courses, role playing, and I took guidance from mentors and coaches while spending thousands of dollars. But trust me, it was all worth it. I mean, I turned my struggling company into a profitable seven figure construction business.

[Eric Triplett]

I put together a list of the

[Podcast Announcer]

critical sales techniques that I use to flip my business from surviving to thriving. And I call it my Contractor Sales Secrets.

[Eric Triplett]

I want to share the list with

[Podcast Announcer]

you with no, no expense, just to get you moving in the right direction. It's my way of contributing and giving back to my community and the construction industry that I know and I love. The list is available to [e-mail] I promise you, with these sales secrets, some grit and discipline, I know you can dramatically change your life. So stop what you're doing right now and go to Contractorsalesecrets.com that's contractor sales Secrets.

[Eric Triplett]

Thank you for your ears and attention to the podcast today. I. I thought it was a great conversation. I really did. And here's my takeaway. Contractors love tradition. They love craftsmanship. They like to, you know, edge things forward and. And make their. Their work more beautiful. We get used to things a certain way, and sometimes we resist change, even with tools. You know, sometimes we want to stick with our old stuff, but every once in a while, something comes along and actually ticks the needle forward on whatever it is that we're doing in our life, whether it's, you know, the craftsman end of it or if it's the safety end of it. Sometimes that needle really moves forward. And construction helmets, I think, are one of those things. So, yeah, they look a little different. Yeah, some guys are still going to wrinkle their nose at them and talk a little bit of shit. But the reality is simple. The strap keeps that helmet where it belongs when things go wrong. And that's one small difference. That could be the reason someone makes it Home safely. And at the end of the day, the coolest look on the job site isn't old school or new school. The coolest look is longevity. And I'm going home to my family, and I want you to go home to your family, too. It's living long enough to chase your goals, your dreams, all that stuff that we work so hard for. So for here at the pond Digger, these helmets are coming into our safety routine in 2026. And who knows, we might be the first contractor crew that specializes in ponds rocking them out on the job sites the same way that we were the first wearing them in our industry over 25 years ago. Hell, I might even replace my mountain bike helmet with this helmet, because that's just the way it's going to go down. Because I get used to, like, you know, my particular color, the look, you know, the way the strap fits. I might just rock it everywhere I go. Shit, I might rock it in the bedroom tonight. And remember, depth, discipline, diligence. That's what we're doing here at the deep end. See you on the next one, Sam.