The first recorded building project that required the use of hardhats occurred in 1933, when construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Chief engineer, Joe Strauss, wanted workers to be safe and required regular hard hats for all workers and those with a face shield to protect the many sand blasters.
OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) produced a booklet in 2003 that outlines all personal protection equipment (PPE) standards for both employees and employers. In this publication, OSHA states that “employers must ensure that their employees wear head protection if any of the following apply:
- Objects might fall from above and strike them on the head;
- They might bump their heads against fixed objects, such as exposed pipes or beams; or
- There is a possibility of accidental head contact with electrical hazards."
The basic rule of thumb indicates that hard hats should be worn in all situations where there is a danger of objects falling from work being done above you. OSHA also strongly recommends that hardhats should be worn with the bill facing forward to achieve maximum protection. If you are a construction worker, carpenter, linemen, pipe fitter, plumber, electrician, timber or log worker, or welder, you should wear an approved hard hat while on the job. If you work in any function, even management, but frequent worksites with either moving or stationery objects that might prove dangerous, a hard hat is required.
