The key to a successful safety program is to protect employees from head injuries. The easiest and most important way is by wearing safety helmets/hard hats. These protect workers from the shock of a blow to the head, and penetration. The shell should be 1 to 1 ¼” away from the head to cushion impact, and the hardhat should have instructions for proper adjustment and replacement of suspension and headband. Proper fit is of the utmost importance.
Most hard hats have slots to accommodate safety glasses, face shields, mounted lights, and/or earmuffs.
Three industrial classes of hardhats are:
Class A – Impact and penetration resistant and limited voltage protection – up to 2,200 volts.
Class B – Highest level of high-voltage shock and burn protection – up to 20,000 volts. These protect from impact and penetration hazards such as falling/flying objects.
Class C – Lightweight comfort and important protection but not electrical hazard protected.
Bump Caps are for low head clearance areas where hard hats are not required. Made to protect from bumps and bruises, bump caps are constructed from polyethylene.
Baseball Cap/Bump Caps have a PE lining inside the cap to protect from bumps and lacerations, as well, and are intended for workers who are not mandated to wear hard hats.
Safety is important, but just because you need to be safe, doesn’t mean you can’t have some style. There are many different hard hat styles that are all ANSII approved. Full brim and cap style hats are available in a variety of solid colors. You can also find hats with different patterns on them, including flames, camouflage and flags for various countries. You can even purchase hard hats displaying your favorite team. NFL, NCAA, NHL, MLB, and NBA styles are all available.
Source: OSHA
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