Hard hats are standard personal protective equipment that are required to be worn in most construction sites, as well as many other industrial settings.
They usually are made of a high-impact plastic material and are designed to absorb most of the force should something collide with your head. They are responsible for many avoided injuries, as well as saving countless lives.
When Do You Need a Hard Hat?
In most instances, specific job site work rules will determine whether or not a hard hat must be worn. If so, signs typically will be posted notifying personnel that they are not allowed in the area unless they are wearing the appropriate head protection.
But how can you tell if a hard hat is required if you don’t know the job site work rules or no such rules exist?
Hard hats should be worn to protect your head whenever there is a risk of:
- Impact and/or penetration from bumping your head
- Impact and/or penetration from falling tools or materials when there are workers, machines, conveyor belts, and other work-related things above you
- Impact and/or penetration from objects being carried or swung nearby
- Electrical shock or burn hazards
Modern Hard Hat Design
The first hard hats were made of tin or some other lightweight metal. While they provided some protection from workers, today’s modern hard hats are specifically engineered to resist blows and absorb shocks.
Most feature a one-piece outer shell that protects the head from blow or penetration. A headband and strap are fitted between the outer shell and the head to further absorb the shock of an impact.
On some hard hats, a chin strap is used to keep the securely fitted to the head in the event of a fall, collision, or windy conditions.
Properly Wearing Your Hard Hat
The only way to ensure that you receive maximum protection from your hard hat is to make sure it is fitted properly to your head. Adjust the headband so that the hat fits snugly on your head and that none of hat’s hard exterior is in contact with your head.
The hard hat should fit comfortably, but it should not be so loose that it is allowed to move freely. A loose hard hat can slide forward and inhibit your field of vision, creating unsafe working conditions.
If you are wearing a hard hat in cold weather, you should wear a hard hat liner over the hard hat, rather than wearing a hat inside the hard hat, which can prohibit you from getting a good fit.
Hard Hat Maintenance
Hard hats should be inspected daily for cracks or dents. They also should be checked after any type of collision or impact.
Things to watch for include:
- Headbands that are stretched or worn should be replaced
- Hard hats that are cracked, broken or punctured should be discarded
- If a hard hat has taken a heavy blow, it should be taken out of service even if it doesn’t show any obvious damage
When not in use, hard hats should be stored in a cool, safe place. Leaving it in the sun can cause the hard plastic material to deteriorate more quickly.