There are many types of hard hats used in the work place today. Type 1 hats are designed to protect you from objects that might fall from above or into which you might collide. Type 2 hats protect you from both vertical and horizontal threats. The manufacture and protection standards for these general categories are published by both the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), giving you a trusted guide when you want to buy hard hats.
There are three basic categories of hardhats, the important distinction is their resistance to electrical shocks and jolts, as all provide basic falling object protection:
- Class A – provides protection up to 2,200 volts of electricity.
- Class B – gives you maximum electrical protection, up to 20,000 volts.
- Class C – protects you from objects like the prior two classes, but no measurable electrical protection.
There are now hardhats that include face/sun shields, radio connections, ear muffs, and mounted lights. As you might expect, your choices of “styles” is amazing. There are many hard hat logo designs, including NFL hard hats, NASCAR hardhats, cowboy hard hats, and even pink hardhats. All other basic colors are available from a number of OSHA- and ANSI-compliant manufacturers. Most have widely adjustable head bands to keep you comfortable as well as safe while you work.
