Hard Hats 101

Have you ever removed your hard hat because it was too hot or uncomfortable? Or maybe you felt like it made you look silly, or maybe you thought you didn’t even need it because you haven’t been hurt before.

Whatever the reason may be, not wearing head protection when it’s needed is never a good idea. It’s dangerous. Hard hats help protect you from injuries and even death while around the hazards on a construction site or elsewhere.

But when do you know when a hard hat is required? Which one should you wear? Are there any that are stylish? Keep reading to find that out and more!

When are hard hats required?

Hard hats are an important piece of equipment designed to help protect your head from injuries. They can help prevent injuries from falling objects, debris, weather related elements, electricity, and more! According to OSHA, you must wear a hard hat for your protection in the following scenarios.

1. You must wear a hard hat when in an area where objects may fall from overhead and potentially strike your head.
2. You must wear a hard hat if electrical hazards exist, and accidental head contact is a possibility.
3. You must wear a hard hat if there are stationary fixtures, such as beams or pipes, on which you may bump your head.

What hard hats are OSHA and ANSI compliant?

All hard hats and head protection may not be OSHA or ANSI compliant, but that doesn’t mean they cannot be used. However, when hard hats are required in the workplace, they must be an OSHA compliant hard hat. But in cases where they aren’t required, but you would just like a little extra protection, non-compliant hard hats and bump caps can be used. We’ll talk more about bump caps later!

So, how do you know if a hard hat is OSHA compliant? To simplify it, in order to meet OSHA’s requirements, the hard hat must fit the following criteria:

1. The hard hat’s design must perform against impact, penetration, and electrical shock (depending on hard hat class).
2. The hard hat must be the type and class (ANSI) for the specific hazardous conditions you face.
3. The hard hat should undergo testing requirements to ensure it is OSHA compliant.

Then, in order to be ANSI compliant, you hard hat must:

1. Meet one of the three classes of hard hats: Class G, Class E, or Class C
2. Meet one of the two types of hard hats: Type I or Type II
3. Include the following info inside of the hat:

• Manufacturer's name
• ANSI standard that the hard hat conforms with, such as "ANSI Z89.1-2009"
• ANSI Type (Type I or II) and Class designation (G, E, or C)
• Size range for fitting
• Date of manufacture

Additionally, if your hard hat meets the ANSI standard Z891-2009, the following symbols must be present as required:

• Two arrows curving to form a circle – When the helmet can be worn forwards or backwards.
• LT – When the helmet is designed to provide protection at low temperatures 22 °F (-30 °C).
• HV – When the helmet meets all requirements for high visibility.

What are the different ANSI hard hat categories?

There are three different hard hat classes, according to the ANSI standards.

• Class G – (General) These are hard hats that are rated for 2,200 volts.
• Class E – (Electrical) These hard hats are proof-tested at 20,000 volts. Such as this Bullhead Safety™ Full Brim Class E Hard Hat.
• Class C – (Conductive) The last class of hard hats is not tested for electrical protection and should never be used in an area where there are electrical hazards present that require a Class G or E hard hat.

As well as classes, the other ANSI hard hat categorization is the hard hat type. There are two different hard hat types.

• Type I – A, usually full brim, hard hat that protects from blows from above.
• Type II – A hard hat, usually with a short brim in front, that protects from blows above as well as blows from the front, back, and sides. Check out this Milwaukee® Bolt™ Front Brim Type II Hard Hat with all the accessory slots and mounts!

Learn more about Type I and Type II hard hats here!

What are the different hard hat suspensions?

Hard hats are available with suspensions with 4, 6, or 8 load-bearing points. The more suspension points a hard hat is, the better the hard hat distributes the force of the impact. Check out this MSA® V-Gard® White Full Brim Hard Hat with 4-Point Fas-Trac® III Suspension. Or this Pyramex® Ridgeline® Matte Black Full Brim Hard Hat with 4-Point Suspension.

Hard hats can be fitted with several different types of suspension adjustments that help make sure your hard hat fits comfortably. The most common is a pinlock adjustment. Hard hats with this type of adjustment must be removed to be adjusted by matching a pin to the corresponding hole in interlocking straps, much like a baseball cap. The other common type of adjustment is a ratchet. This type of adjustment only requires one hand and can be adjusted while wearing the hard hat by using a knob to tighten or loosen the fit. Such as this stylish LIFT® DAX® FIFTY50 Ratcheting Hard Hat.

How long is a hard hat good for?

OSHA doesn’t have an expiration date for hard hats, but some manufacturers may set a specific expiration date on their hard hats. However, even without a set expiration date, it is recommended to replace your hard hat every five years, and the support strap annually. This ensures that you aren’t using damaged and well-worn protective equipment that may fail when it is needed. Make sure to also replace your hard hat if, while performing a visual inspection, you can tell that it is damaged with cracks, penetrations, etc. In addition to a visual inspection, you can also perform another type of test to see if your hard hat should be replaced. To do this additional test, take your hard hat in two hands and apply force by squeezing the hat. If you hear creaking or unusual sounds, it’s a good indication that your hard hat needs replaced.

Hard Hat vs. Bump Cap

When a hard hat isn’t required, a bump cap can be worn instead to help protect your head from minor bumps that could lead to bruises, cuts, or abrasions. However, bump caps do not protect against falling objects like a hard hat does.

Read more about the differences between hard hats and bump caps here!

If you have further questions about hard hats or which one would be the perfect fit for you, we’re here to help! Talk to us today!