Hat check time

What with work, weather, and every day use, a hard hat can get old before its time. You'll know when it is time to get a new hard hat when:

• Cracks appear in the shell.
• Shiny surface appears dull or chalky.
• Shell becomes brittle.

While you're at it, check your suspension. You'll know when you need a fresh one if:

• The suspensions become brittle
• One or more of the mounts break off
• The suspension will no longer hold securely to the head
• The cradling straps break or become worn

It is generally a good idea to inspect your hard hat before and after each use. Although there is no set service life for hard hats, manufacturers recommend replacement after no more than 5 years.

Inside information

It's easy. You don't have to call OSHA or send a letter to your Congressman. Just look at the inside of any protective helmet you are considering for your employees. You should see a label with the manufacturer's name, the ANSI standard it meets, and its class. Most hard hat hard hats today are a type 1 hard hat class C,E, & G. And, most of todays hard hats should meet the ANSI Z89.1-1997 standards. Don't forget to leave the tags in the hat just in case of an inspection.

Hard Hat Maintenance

Hard hats should be cleaned regularly in order to improve their length of service. Cleaning your hard hat and suspensions is pretty simple. The hard hats with or without logos can be cleaned with simple soap and water, or by using a damp towel. The plastic suspensions can be cleaned similarly; however, most modern suspensions some with a sweatband in the front or back of the hat. These sweatbands can be gently washed by hand, but they probably won´t last as long as the hard hat. Several universal brow pads are available at an economical price.

Replace your hard hat when:
*Cracks appear in the shell.
*Shiny surface appears dull or chalky.
*Shell becomes brittle.


Replace your Suspension when:
*The suspensions become brittle
*One or more of the mounts break off
*The suspension will no longer hold securely to the head
*The cradling straps break or become worn

Inspect your hard hats before and after each use. Although there is no set service life for hard hats, manufacturers recommend replacement after no more than 5 years.

The suspension story

A for real hard hat is more than just a hard polyethylene shell. Inside each one you'll find a system for securing the hard hat to your head. There are two basic ways this is done:

Pin-lock suspension is basically like a man's belt that attaches to the users head with a locking mechanism. If you want to adjust your hard hat, you have to take it off and remove the suspension.

Ratchet suspension features a quick ratchet adjusting knob. If you want to loosen or tighten the hard hat "on the go" you simply turn the knob.

The typical hard hat will have either four point suspension/six point suspension. This is the actual number of clips that mounts the cradle suspension to the shell of the hard hat.
Manufacturers such as MSA and others offer "V-guard" protection, a large embossed V designed into the hat for added protection. And that is probably all you will ever want to know about hard hat suspension systems.

The ABCs of head protection

Yes. Hard hats are divided into three industrial classes:

Class G hard hats provide good impact protection but limited voltage protection. They are best for use in mining, building construction, shipbuilding, lumbering, and manufacturing.

Class E helmets provide excellent protection for electrical workers in that they protect against falling objects and high-voltage shock and burns.

Class C light-weight helmets offer limited protection. They protect workers from bumping against fixed objects but do not protect against falling objects or electric shock.

Most hard hat hard hats today offer all 3 categories and called a type 1 hard hat class C,E, & G.

Heads up!

It goes without saying that our head is worth protecting. It contains our brain and other important stuff that we need to do things like see, talk, hear and eat. That's why wearing a hard hat on construction sites and other places where things can fall without notice out of the sky is a no-brainer. A single head injury can handicap a person for life or even be fatal. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, injuries to workers not wearing hard hats can come from virtually every angle. More than one-half of the workers got knocked on the noggin while they were looking down. About three-tenths were just looking straight ahead minding their own business. While a third of the unprotected workers were injured when they bumped into stationary objects. The moral of the story? Keep your head up, eyes open and hard hat on.

More about Hard Hats

Unlike a Cuban cigar, a good hard hat is not hard to find. Protective helmets or hard hats must have a hard outer shell and a shock-absorbing lining. The lining should incorporate a head band and straps that suspend the shell from 1 to 1 1/4 inches (2.54 cm to 3.18 cm) away from the user's head. This design provides shock absorption during impact and ventilation during wear. Also, hard hats should resist penetration by objects, absorb the shock of a blow, be water-resistant and slow burning and come with instructions explaining proper adjustment and replacement of the suspension and headband.

Clean and jerk

Cleaning your hard hat and suspensions:

The hard hats with or without logos can be cleaned with simple soap and water, or by using a damp towel. The plastic suspensions can be cleaned similarly; however, most modern suspensions come with a sweatband in the front or back of the hat. These sweatbands can be gently washed by hand, but they probably won't last as long as the hard hat. Several universal brow pads are available at an economical price.

Hard Hats

Today's head protection comes in a variety of styles that are related to the type of work being done.

Accessory Slots/Slotted Hard Hats- This is a slot on the sides of many cap-style hard hat which allows accessories such as ear muffs, faces shields, and other headgear.

Bump Caps- offers light protection but DO NOT protect against impact or blows to the top or side of the head.

Cap Style hard hats- Type of hard hat characterized by a bill in the front. Most hard-hats use this design. The design looks very similar to a baseball cap.

Full Brim hard hats- Type of hard hat with a brim that wraps completely around the hat. This helps to cover the neck and ears from the sun and other elements.

Wearing hard hats with style

Hard hats are becoming the norm at the workplace. I know what you are thinking. Most people hate to wear their hard hats. Here's a good tip. If you are going to have to wear one of them all day long, at least let the hard hats show your personality.

Hard hats today are available with your favorite sport teams design and of course a ton of different colors. Have a favorite NFL team? NFL hard hats can be custom made to meet OSHA regulations and are constructed for style and usability. With one of these hats, you would be the talk of the work site.

Classes and Types Of Hard Hats

Based on the revisions to ANSI Z89.1-1997 and ANSI Z89.1-2003, hard hats can be further grouped based on voltage. In the ANSI Z89.1-1997 revision, hard hats are classified according to Classes E, G, and C:

· Class E or Electrical – hard hats within this class are able to endure 20,000 volts.
· Class G or General – hard hats within this category protect against 2,200 volts.
· Class C or Conductive – hard hats which cannot protect against electrical voltage fall into this category.

The classes from 1997 were retained in the 2003 revision, but hard hats were further classified by “Type” in the 2003 revision:

· Type I hard hats are used to protect the top of the head only.
· Type II hard hats provide ability to protect the sides of the head as well.

Choosing The Correct Hard Hat

There is no debate about hard hats being able to save your life. This is especially true in industries requiring you to work either on a ladder or scaffold. As with anything that will be worn in a protective manner, it is necessary to choose the correct hard hat to protect your head.
When selecting a hard hat it is very important the hard hat you choose be comfortable to wear. There are numerous brands of hard hats available, all made of different materials. The hard hat you purchase should be made of a material that is not too heavy on the head, but is also able to protect your head in case of a fall.
Look for a hard hat with a lining that is durable enough to absorb shock by a blow to the head or fall. This lining should be attached to a band with suspension straps that hold the hard hat securely in place.
It is also recommended when selecting a hard hat, a sweatband should be included to collect moisture, and keep the head cool at the same time. For example, with construction hard hats sweat is not allowed to run into the eyes.
A unique feature of some hard hats is the ability to wear them backwards. While doing certain tasks, it might be necessary to do this. Quite a few manufacturer brands such as “The American Omega II” are hard hats, which are certified to wear backwards. However, it is unsafe to wear regular hard hats backwards, if they are not certified to wear them this way.

Hard hats with company logo

Over the last few years, companies have been getting better and better at putting logo's on safety products like hard hats. Pad printing creates a permanent, high quality imprint at an affordable price. Custom logos or slogans may be imprinted on the front, back, and sides of most safety hardhats. In addition, several stock logo´s like the American Flag, Think safety, etc

Reasons to print logo´s on the hard hats…

*Use for corporate identity
*Ideal for promotional products market
*Perfect for commemorating ceremonial and special