Who Makes the Best Hard Hat? Well, It Depends.

What Does a Hard Hat Protect Me From?

Hard Hats can shield you from dangers other than crashes and shocks. Some of these dangers consist of:

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• Water damage: Hard hats are either water-proof or water-resistant, which keeps water out. 
• Penetration and cuts: The cross-molded pattern used in the material’s construction prevents most sharp items from piercing or slicing through the surface.
• Falling objects: Falling objects can cause an impact injury, which is less often. Hard hats are made to absorb impact and deflect it as much as possible away from your head. 
• Burns: To protect your head from burns, every hard hat is comprised of a fire-resistant or fireproof material.

Recognize that not all risks may be avoided by wearing a hard hats, and that your company may have additional PPE requirements. To achieve the greatest level of safety, use all PPE available for your task, not simply a hard hat. 

Who Needs to Wear Hard Hats?

Hard hats are necessary for certain jobs but not all. Your requirement to wear a hard hat will be largely influenced by the sort of work you undertake. For instance, unless there is no potential for a head injury, all construction workers must wear hard hats. 

Employees are not required by OSHA to wear hard hats. However, OSHA expects employers to make the decision about whether or not their employees should wear hard hats and whether or not there is a danger of head injury at work. 

Other professions that frequently demand a hard hat include some of the following:

• Electricians
• Freight handlers
• Welders
• Heavy machinery operators
• Lumberyard workers
• Warehouse workers
• Mechanics
• Archaeologists 
• Miners

When Should Hard Hats Be Worn?

If there is even a remote chance that you are working in an area where something could fall and strike you in the head, you should wear a hard hat, always. Even taking off your hard hat for a minute could be potentially dangerous in certain types of workplaces. To demonstrate the importance of wearing a hard hat at all times, consider the following story:

Troy, a door installer, was working with a demolition crew to modify a passenger elevator. The concrete floor of the elevator shaft had to be removed and the basement door had to be rehung. Troy was removing debris on the first floor to an outside collection point, which required him to move through a location with two overhead swing stage scaffolds. He knew there were brick masons on the scaffolds, repairing the facade, but decided he wouldn’t be there long and didn’t need a hard hat. While attempting to move through this area, Troy was struck in the head by a falling brick, fracturing his skull. Although he was rushed to the hospital right away, he would end up dying from a traumatic brain injury later that day.

Troy was not wearing a hard hat in this incident. Had he been wearing one, he may have suffered a concussion at the very worst. Troy was aware that he was working somewhere with overhead hazards, and yet had decided to not wear a hard hat. 

When a hard hat should be worn is an easy question to answer: always. Only if there is absolutely no chance of overhead hazards should you not wear a hard hat. 

What Are Hard Hats made of?

The very first hard hats in the United States were made of leather in the late ’s leading into the early ’s. During World War I, many soldiers wore steel helmets, which sparked the idea of metal helmets that could be used to improve industry safety. This started the production of metal hard hats in the ’s up until the ’s. 

From there the material would change over the next decade to a Bakelite/resin composite material and then to fiberglass. In the ’s, most hard hats were generally made from molded thermoplastic. This significantly reduced both the weight and the cost of hard hats, without compromising their ability to protect the wearer’s head. 

Some hard hats today are still made of fiberglass or molded thermoplastics. But most modern hard hats are made from non-conductive, high-density polyethylene. It isn’t uncommon, however, to see hard hats made of different materials as well. 

What Styles of Hard Hats Are There?

There are several different types of hard hats available. Hard hats come in a variety of designs and are used for various tasks. Depending on the task you are performing, numerous accessories that come with hard hats offer additional protection. Here, we’ll talk about some of the most popular hard hat variations and the functions they each have.

Brim Hard Hat

A hard hat with a brim on the front, as the name indicates, is referred to as one with a brim. This protrudes just enough to give the wearer a tiny bit of eye protection. These hard hats are perfect for outdoor jobs where there is a significant likelihood of sun exposure. 

Full-Brim Hard Hat

Similar to a brim hat, a full-brim hat has a brim that wraps completely around the hard hat. Full-brim hard hats are more suited to deflecting rain away from the head and face than only shielding the user from the sun. 

Cap Style Hard Hat

These hard hats are similar to hard hats with brims, but the brim is often longer and offers additional facial protection. They feature an appearance that is quite similar to a baseball cap or other hats with a lengthy visor on the front.

Ventilated Hard Hats

To let air in and keep your head cool while working, these hard hats contain vents on the sides near the brim. If you’re working outside in hot weather, they are quite wonderful. These hard hats are frequently used by construction workers who perform their work in locations free from electrical risks.

There are many different types of suspension systems used with hard hats for adjusting to the wearer’s head size and for making the hard hat more comfortable. The suspension is also responsible for creating a gap between the outer shell of the hard hat and the wearer’s head. This way when it takes an impact, the shell absorbs most of the force and eliminates or reduces the amount of force that the wearer’s head takes. 

The suspension system is adjusted at the nape strap, a part of the system located above the nape of the neck at the back of the head. The three most common systems are:

• Ratchet(Fas-Trac): This suspension system adjusts by twisting a knob on the back to tighten and loosen itself.  
• Pin lock: This suspension system has a track with a pin that you lift, move the track where you want it, then drop the pin in place to hold the track where you want it. 
• 1-touch: This suspension system is adjusted by holding a button on the track, moving the track where you want it, then releasing the button so it locks in place.

The suspension system is the same for creating the gap between the outer shell and the wearer’s head, but the suspension system can vary in how it adjusts. It is all a matter of personal preference and doesn’t necessarily make a difference in how effective the hard hat is.

Hard Hat Accessories 

There are many accessories that can be included or attached to hard hats to provide you with additional protection against workplace hazards. Some examples of these accessories include:

• Hearing protection: These are used for employees that work in an environment with loud or repetitive noises. 
• Face shields: There are heavy face shields used primarily by welders but also more lightweight face shields used by employees that risk exposure to chemical splashes. 
• Headlights: These are typically used by employees that have to work in dark areas, such as miners. 
• Neck shades: These are used mostly by outdoor workers to protect the neck and sides of the head from exposure to the sun.
• Mirrors: This uncommon accessory can help increase the wearer’s field of view. 
• Chin straps: These are more common on certain models of hard hats and help hold the hard hat in place on the wearer’s head. 
• Padding: For cold weather conditions, some hard hats have padding inside to keep the wearer’s head warm. 
• Visors: If your hard hat is not a cap style or brim style hard hat, there are attachable visors to protect your face from the shade.

Can I Wear a Bump Cap Instead of a Hard Hat?

Bump caps are not approved by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI). Because OSHA relies on the standards of ANSI regarding head protection, OSHA does not count a bump cap as a hard hat. Bump caps simply do not offer sufficient protection employees need from falling objects and can only protect employees’ heads from minor impacts. 

How to Wear a Hard Hat

Hard hats usually have suspension straps that help you adjust the hard hat to fit snugly on your head. A well-fitting hard hat does not blind, slip, or fall off. Be sure that there is proper space between the shell and the suspension straps. This is to provide ventilation and impact distribution. 

After purchasing a hard hat, ensure that it is comfortable, fits properly, and does not irritate your skin. There are different thickness options and material options for suspension straps, so find what works best for you when choosing a hard hat.  

Am I Required to Wear My Hard Hat a Certain Way?

OSHA only asks that employees wear hard hats when there is danger of head injury in their workplace. OSHA does not regulate how you wear your hard hat. Some employees like to wear the hard hat backwards. Some hard hats can be worn backwards while others cannot. 

Certain brim and cap style hats can be worn backwards to protect your neck from the shade, but then expose your face. It all comes down to preference, but there is no requirement for how you need to wear it unless your employer says otherwise. 

Know however, that some hard hats cannot be worn more than one way and these hard hats should not be worn another way. If it can be worn backwards, it will have a “reverse donning arrow” and wearing instructions from the manufacturer. 

Classification of Hard Hats

ANSI separates hard hats into different classes rated for protection against electrical hazards. They are as follows:

• Class C: Class C hard hats do not offer any electrical protection and are even conductive to electricity, making them dangerous for workplaces that could possibly face electrical hazards. 
• Class G: Class G hard hats are rated for a minimal amount of electrical protection– up to 2,200 volts to be exact. They are ideal for workplaces that could face electrical hazards but generally do not. 
• Class E: Class E hard hats are rated for up to 20,000 volts of electricity, making them the most ideal for working with electricity. They are essential for workplaces that are certain to face electric hazards. 

There are also two types of hard hats that classify what kind of impacts they are rated for. 

• Type I: These hard hats offer protection from vertical impacts and penetration. They are most commonly used in the United States.
• Type II: These hard hats offer protection from both vertical and lateral impacts and penetration. They are most commonly used in Europe.

Colors of Hard Hats

OSHA does not regulate the colors of hard hats or their designation. However, the colors of hard hats can be significant, especially in the construction industry. In certain work environments, they can designate what role the person wearing them has in the workplace. The colors and their meanings are:

• White or Black: White or black hard hats are usually worn by supervisors, foremen, and engineers. Less commonly, they are worn by vehicle operators and competent persons. 
• Yellow: Yellow is to be worn by general workers and earth movers; it is the most common hard hat color to see on a construction site.
• Green: Green is for safety inspectors and sometimes is worn to designate new workers.
• Blue: Blue is for specialists on the construction site, such as carpenters, electricians, temporary workers, and subcontractors. 
• Brown: Brown is worn by any worker that does hot work on a construction site, such as welders. 
• Orange: Orange is usually intended for signallers and slingers on site, but is less common to see.

You should wear the right color hard hat for your role in the workplace unless your employer has determined that color coding with hard hats to be unnecessary. 

Can Class G and Class E Hard Hats Be Ventilated?

Unfortunately, ventilation on class G and class E hard hats would be counterproductive in preventing electrical shocks to the head. There are no class G or class E hard hats that are ventilated for this reason. The only class of ventilated hard hats that are available for OSHA-aligned use are class C hard hats. 

What is the Best Hard Hat for Me?

The hard hat that is most appropriate for the task you do is the ideal hard hat for you. As was already mentioned, not all hard hats are approved for use when working with electricity. Others don’t, while some feature brims to shield your face from the sun. When searching for the ideal hard hat , options like these should be taken into account. 

As a general rule, construction workers wear Class G hard hats since the task may expose them to electrical hazards. Of course, electricians wear Class E hard hats . When choosing a hard hat (and accessories), consider the risks and/or environmental conditions you could be exposed to. 

Top Recommended Hard Hats

Many of these hard hats that fall under the top rated and recommended are the best for certain jobs or industries. This means that one hard hat is not necessarily better than another, but might be better for a certain employee or profession that requires a hard hat for the specific type of work. 

• Overall best quality and reliability: PYRAMEX Ridgeline Full Brim Hard Hat, 4-Point Ratchet Suspension, Matte Black Graphite Pattern
• Best cap style hard hat: DAX Cap Style Safety Hard Hat (Matte Real Carbon Fiber)
• Best hard hat with a light: Klein Tools Hard Hat, Light, Vented Full Brim Style
• Most comfortable hard hat: Lift Safety HDF-15NG DAX Hard Hat
• Best class C hard hat: Evolution Deluxe 280-EV-10V Full Brim Hard Hat
• Best hard hat for the price: Pyramex Ridgeline Cap Style Hard Hat, 4-Point Ratchet Suspension, White

Which Material is the Best for Hard Hats?

Any material that fits ANSI standards for hard hats is acceptable. There are many different materials that can be used, all of which can affect the cost. However, understanding which materials typically fall under which class of hard hat is important in determining which hard hat is best for you.

• Aluminum hard hats are metal, making them one of the heaviest options and the most conductive class C hard hats. 
• Carbon fiber hard hats are lightweight, fairly priced, and offer class C protection, meaning they do not provide protection from electrical hazards. 
• Fiberglass hard hats are lightweight and usually offer class G protection, meaning they somewhat protect you from electrical hazards. 
• Resin hard hats are rare, but most usually, hard hats will be made primarily of something else and then coated with resin. This is because the resin is electric resistant and can provide class G and sometimes class E protection. 
• ABS plastic hard hats are durable, cheaper options that offer class C, G, or E protection, depending on where you buy them from. 
• High-density polyethylene is one of the best options for Class E hard hats because they are an organic material that has very low conductivity and is reasonably priced. 
• Kevlar hard hats are expensive, rare, and bullet-proof. They are very durable and are usually made with carbon fiber to reduce the weight. The problem is they only come in class C, making them not ideal for working with electrical hazards. 

A few companies have started using carbon fiber and Kevlar as their main composite for their hard hats. These hard hats are ANSI aligned and made with aerospace-grade carbon fiber and Kevlar. Learn more about thisnew hard hat tech.

How Much Do Hard Hats Cost?

On average, type 1 hard hats cost around $30 each. Type 2 hard hats tend to cost more, around $50 each. There are more expensive models and cheaper models of both types, but quality is what matters most. A more expensive hard hat does not always mean a higher quality or stronger impact-rated hard hat. 

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Ansi Helmet. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Usually, a hard hat may be more expensive because it comes with certain accessories or comes in a special design or color. Hard hats with face shields built for welders, for example, will be significantly more expensive than traditional construction hard hats. 

Hard hat’s material can also affect the cost. For example, kevlar and carbon fiber hard hats tend to be more expensive than ABS and resin coated hard hats. 

Where Should I Buy Hard Hats From?

It doesn’t matter much where you buy your hard hat from, so long as it meets the ANSI/OSHA Requirements needed for your workplace. Different sellers will have different prices and options, so you don’t have to settle for something less than what you need. There are many viable options from popular online retailers like Amazon, and also from local businesses like Harbor Freight.

Buying them directly from the manufacturer is not a bad idea, but will not make a difference in how much you pay unless you plan on buying them in bulk. 

Hard Hat Inspections

It is important to keep your hard hat clean and inspect your hard hat prior to work everyday. Look for cracks, holes, tears in suspension, and UV damage. Always store your hard hat away from the sun, since extreme heat and sunlight can damage it overtime. 

When Should I Replace My Hard Hat?

Even if there is no sign of damage on your hard hat, you should replace it immediately after it sustains an impact from any object. Dispose of that hard hat and get a new one before continuing work. Any small crack or break in the hard hat, whether visible or not, can compromise the integrity of the hard hat. This means that if it sustains another impact, it is possible it will not protect you sufficiently. 

Another good way to tell that your hard hat should be replaced is if it loses its glossy texture. This is a clear indication of UV damage. You should also replace your hard hat as soon as it expires. It is possible that the suspension straps on your hard hat wear out or break. Although this may not seem to compromise the surface of the hard hat itself, it is equally important. The suspension straps help keep the hard hat in place on your head and absorb impacts. 

If the hard hat cannot fit and sit on your head correctly, it cannot be suitable for use and should be replaced. Suspensions should be inspected and replaced every 12 months. Using an expired hard hat could compromise your safety.

Do Hard Hats Expire?

Hard Hats don’t technically expire, but as a rule of thumb, any hard hat that goes undamaged should still be replaced every five years. This means regardless of how they look or how little wear they may have, they should be replaced five years after the manufacture date. 

To check and see when the hat was manufactured, flip your hat over and look on the inside. Usually, a stamped date will be on the brim, but it’s possible that it will be elsewhere on the inside. The stamp looks like a circular pattern of numbers. The number in the middle is the year of manufacture, and the arrow in the middle will point to the number that is the month of the year it was manufactured. The other numbers are the serial number of the hard hat and can be ignored. 

Can I Modify My Hard Hat?

Modifying your hard hat is never acceptable. Many employees like to drill holes for ventilation or engrave designs on the surface of their hard hats, but this compromises the integrity of the hard hat. Any modification that punctures or in some way damages the hard hat makes it unsuitable for use and must be replaced. 

The only “modifications” that are acceptable are cosmetic ones, although OSHA generally frowns upon this. Some employees like to add stickers to or paint their hard hats, which is only acceptable so long as the manufacturer of the hard hat has authorized it. 

It was just another workday for Tom. The gear was loaded on the truck, everyone piled in and then the drive to the morning’s worksite. The crew had worked together for a couple of years, so everyone knew what their role was, and without much discussion the process of dismantling the two large cottonwoods began. Tom had the tough assignment for the day, dragging and chipping brush.

The cool morning weather quickly transitioned to hot and humid as the day heated up. The heat and humidity caused the sweat to drip from Tom’s forehead. He took his helmet off, just to feel the breeze and wipe the sweat from his face. As Tom was standing just to rest for a minute, he got a call from another ground worker to help fuel saws. He walked under the tree in the direction of the truck, forgetting to don his helmet.

Job briefings and procedures

Job briefings were not routine for this company, and many other procedures were neglected, such as a command and response before cutting a branch. The procedure was for the climber to look to be sure ground workers were clear, shout “headache” and make the cut. The climber cut a short stub, about 10 pounds, and it bounced through the canopy as it fell. As it accelerated on its downward fall, its trajectory intersected Tom’s path as he was walking.

The stub struck Tom on the left side of his head. The contact was with the side of the stub, not the end, so the force was less concentrated. Tom woke up in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These are disruptions in the brain’s normal function because of an outside force. TBIs can be minor and short lived or have lifelong implications. Tom was hospitalized for a week and had episodes of depression and sleep disorder for years afterwards.

Struck by a falling branch is one of the most common incidents to tree workers. TBIs are one of the outcomes of these struck-by incidents. A factor in the severity of the injuries is whether the struck worker was properly wearing a helmet.

Head-protection history

Head protection is one of the required pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) for tree workers in the ANSI Z133 - Safety Requirements for Arboricultural Operations. They can protect against impact from falling or swinging objects and electrical hazards. The helmet, like most PPE, is your last protection from injury. Everything else has already gone wrong – walking through a drop zone, the lack of a command-and-response communication system, the falling stub – so the helmet had better work. But helmets provide a measure of protection that is not absolute. Understanding this limitation is important – they are not a substitute for safe work practices.

Head protection started with shipbuilders. There was always the risk of debris or tools falling, so workers wore tar-coated cloth caps. Head protection caught on for other industries and progressed to leather, steel, aluminum and plastic. The traditional hard hat has given way to the safety helmet. These helmets, which were first used in recreational sports such as climbing, have evolved to fit the needs and requirements of our industry.

Modern helmets fulfill the primary function of the hard hat – protection from impact and penetrating force – but have far exceeded this basic requirement. The modern helmets are better balanced, for example, and less prone to falling off when worn without the chin strap secured. Many are ventilated, with adjustable vents along the sides. Recessed hearing protection and face shields keep ropes and twigs from catching on the sides of the helmets. Add in Bluetooth communication, and you have a helmet that does far more than just protect the head.

Helmet construction

Most of our helmets are made of non-conductive ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). They come with suspension that has between four and eight load-bearing points. The suspension is usually connected to the helmet with pinlocks and has a ratchet to tighten or loosen the fit. Most helmets come with a chin strap, and some have straps that can be positioned to break away if caught by something while working on the ground, or to hold under impact, such as ricocheting through the tree during a fall.

Our helmets must conform to ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 – (R) American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection. Helmets conforming to this standard are designated by Type and Class. Type I helmets are designed to provide a measure of protection against a blunt or penetrating force from above. Type II helmets provide protection from lateral forces – impacts on the side of the helmet – as well as from the top.

Since Type II helmets must provide protection from lateral impact, they all have a chin strap that must be used. The chin strap must remain attached during an impact and not stretch more than 1 inch. Type II helmets are not required for tree workers, but since we can be struck by a falling or swinging object, protection from top and lateral impacts might be a good idea.

Helmet class

The helmet, whether Type I or II, is designed in one of two classes. Class C (Conductive) is for general tree work, not in the vicinity of energized electrical conductors. Class E (Electrical), once called Class B, is worn by incidental and qualified line-clearance arborists working near conductors. These helmets have dielectric properties and meet the minimum standard of withstanding 20,000 volts for three minutes after impact with leakage not exceeding 9 milliamperes. This means the helmet survives contact, not necessarily that the head does, so never violate the minimum approach distance with these helmets! Class E helmets are not vented. Also, a reminder, do not attach decals to Class E helmets. They can affect the dielectric properties.

Helmet features

Some helmets are identified with a symbol of two arrows curving in opposite directions. This signifies reverse donning, that the helmet can be worn in either direction, forward or backward. Reverse donning is found on some Type I helmets, but is rare for Type II.

Many hard hats come with a full brim. Most safety helmets do not have a brim, or at best have a small front brim. There is no requirement regarding a brim, but a front brim can keep the rain out of your eyes. Most important, a front brim is a barrier to keep a long, swinging object from hitting your face – possibly a branch or chain bar.

Color options once were limited for helmets. Most were white. White helmets have a few drawbacks. First, it can be difficult to determine if it has been stored properly. Is it faded or not? It is much easier for the user to inspect the outer shell for ultraviolet degradation on a colored helmet. Second, damage can be more easily identified during a visual inspection due to discoloration that commonly occurs with brighter helmets. Last, if you have a required item of PPE in an industry where struck-by injuries are prevalent, why not make the PPE highly visible?

Helmets contain more than a shell. Some come with a polypropylene or polystyrene liner that acts as a shock absorber. Helmets also have suspension that supports the shell. The suspension is often forgotten – except when it pinches the forehead. But it is part of the shock-absorber system for many helmets, dispersing the impact force over a larger area and time period.

ANSI requirements

ANSI Z133-, Section 3.1.2, states, “Employers shall instruct their employees in the proper use, inspection and maintenance of personal protective equipment (PPE).” The old days of tossing someone a helmet their first day with the simple instruction of “wear it” are over. When issuing PPE to a worker, an employer is required to train the employee on when to wear it, how to don, how to doff and care and maintenance of the equipment. Understanding the do’s and don’ts of your PPE is a “shall,” which means a must in ANSI terminology.

Anything designed to protect you is worth a little care. Helmets should be periodically cleaned with a mild, non-filming soap and warm water, then rinsed and dried. If the helmet has a liner, this can be removed and cleaned. The same with the suspension. How often you clean it depends on your tolerance to grime, but regardless of frequency, be sure to follow any cleaning recommendation from the manufacturer. Solvents and degreasers can weaken shells.

When to retire your helmet

When to retire a helmet? You only have one head, so you might want to be sure the helmet will work if you need it to. There is no set time to retire a helmet, as it is impossible to know how the helmet is being used. Is it set on the top shelf in a dark cabinet within an air-conditioned office and only worn on occasion? Or is it out in the field every day, with the weather fluctuating with the seasons between cloudy, dry and 20 F to sunny, humid, 95 F days?

Useful service life

The useful service-life guideline for many helmets is five years. The maximum lifespan from manufacturing is 10 years, even if stored on a shelf. But most helmets are used every workday. Working means that the helmet is going to be subjected to the environment – heat, cold, sun, rain – and forces that include minor impacts, such as dropping the helmet you are carrying.

Helmets, as with other PPE, shall be inspected daily. The wearer should check the shell for cracks, even thin, hairline cracks or tiny networks of cracks, and note that stickers can hide cracks. Also check the shell for bubbling and warping. All these are indicators that a new helmet is needed. Most important, if the helmet was subjected to an impact or penetration, it must be replaced.

Most helmets will be replaced within 10 years. They get grungy by then. But there are always some helmets that get placed and forgotten in a cabinet – if you find one of these, how old is it? If you need to know how old a helmet is, check the serial number. Manufacturers are required to label the date of manufacturing. The manufacturer’s website usually explains how to read the label numbers and letters to determine when a specific helmet was made.

Suspension retirement date

What is often forgotten is that the suspension retirement date may differ from that of the helmet. The suspension, as the name implies, suspends the helmet from the head. This acts as a shock absorber for many helmets, cushioning the impact and working in concert with the shell, which is designed to deform on impact. If the pinlocks or slot become brittle, the suspension may fail when subjected to impact. Inspect the suspension for cracked or missing pin slots. Also inspect for fraying on the band or a broken ratchet. Any of these defects are a good reason to replace the suspension. Even in the absence of these defects, it is a good idea to replace the suspension every year.

A new helmet can cost anywhere from $90 to $400. That is not a lot of money for the last thing that might save your life when everything else goes wrong.

John Ball, Ph.D., BCMA, CTSP, A-NREMT (Advanced – National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians), is a professor of forestry and TCIA member/student advisor at South Dakota State University, as well as a frequent presenter on industry safety and other topics at industry events throughout the U.S.

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