What does a hard hat do to actually protect you?
Hard hats were one of the first safety items to be considered essential to a construction worker’s safety. An early version was a cloth cap sporting a varnished leather brim worn by gold and copper miners. Nothing on a jobsite works harder to protect crew members than the modern-day hard hat.
Are there performance requirements that hard hats must meet?
OSHA regulations require the use of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) compliant head protection (ANSI Z89.1-2014).
There are two types of protection from blows:
- Type I: Protects against blows to the top of the head
- Type II: Protects against blows to the top and side of the head
There are three classes of head protection from electricity:
- Class E (electrical) Is tested to withstand 20,000 volts
- Class G (general) Is tested to withstand 2,200 volts
- Class C (conductive) Does not provide any protection from electricity
What are the dos and don’ts of using a hard hat suspension?
Always make sure that the suspension fits securely into all slots. Suspensions aren’t designed to be interchangeable, so don’t use one manufacturer’s suspension in another manufacturer’s
hard hat. Inspect your suspension frequently and it when an impact occurs.
When should you replace a hard hat?
Inspect your
hard hat frequently and replace it if it shows cracks, chips, holes, dents, discoloration or brittleness. After an impact, you’ll want to look closely at the hat and suspension moorings. The rule is – if in doubt, throw it out. To replace your hard hat, shop professional construction hard hats here.
