January 2024
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Your Headache-Free Guide To Choosing Head Protection
Did you know that hard hats are over 100 years old? That’s right! Construction workers were some of the first workers to wear hard hats. Common sense typically dictates when employees need head protection. However, we also have the OSHA regulations for guidance.
In the construction industry, 1926.100 Head Protection states that employees must be protected in work areas with a possible danger of head injury from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns. Consequently, head protection is needed most of the time in construction. The general industry rule, 1910.135 Head Protection, states that the work environment will dictate the need for head protection. According to OSHA Enforcement Data, during 2023, the Agency has issued 60 citations to employers for violations to 1910.135, averaging $3,128 in penalties per violation.
1926.100 has been cited 9,725 times, with the average penalty totaling almost $2,000 per violation. In 2020, 43,540 workers suffered nonfatal head injuries involving days away from work. Providing head protection to workers isn’t enough. Employers must choose the correct type and class based on hazards in the workplace.
How Hard Hats Protect Your Employees
Head injuries are caused by falling, flying objects, or bumping your head against a fixed object. Other head injuries are from electrical shock and burns. Hard hats are designed to do two things: resist penetration and absorb the shock of a blow.
Hard hats lessen injury because they are designed with a hard outer shell and a suspension system inside. Workers should wear hard hats when working in an area with a possible danger of head injury from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns.
If there aren’t any falling object hazards, you might allow your workers to wear a bump cap. It protects their heads if they bump into an object.
Types and Classes of Protective Headgear
Hard hats will have a Type I or Type II rating on the manufacturer’s sticker. These markings are based on ANSI Z89.1’s impact ratings. Type I hard hats protect from objects or impacts from the top center area of the hard hat and are often used in work areas with no lateral head impact hazards. Type II head protection, on the other hand, offers protection from both top and lateral impacts and objects and is often found on construction jobsites or complex general industry settings where workers face multiple head contact exposures.
If hard hats have a bill that extends forward from the front of the hard hat or a full brim, it will help deflect objects away from workers’ face area. Type II head protections are called safety helmets! OSHA released a Safety and Health Bulletin (SHIB 11-22-2023) on November 22, 2023, detailing the key differences and benefits of using safety helmets over traditional hard hats. A growing number of employers nationally choose to use Type II safety safety helmets for their workers, recognizing the benefits of added head protection. If you purchase new hard hats, here is a handy chart to use describing the different types and classes of hard hats:
• Type 1 – intended to reduce the force of impact resulting from a blow only to the top of the head.
• Type 2 – intended to reduce the force of impact resulting from a blow that may be received off-center or to the top of the head.
• Class G – (General) low voltage protection.
• Class E – (Electrical) high voltage protection.
• Class C – (Conductive) no voltage protection.
Maintaining Protective Gear
Headgear should be inspected every day. Here are some suggestions for maintaining your headgear:
• Check your head protection for cracks (even hairline cracks), dents, and wear every time it is worn. Discard head protection that is cracked or looks chalky or dull.
• Wash your head protection (especially the sweatbands and cradles) monthly in warm, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Replace worn sweatbands, if needed.
• Avoid painting your helmet. Paint contains solvents that may reduce the dielectric properties, if applicable, or affect the actual shell.
• Check the condition of the suspension system. Look for torn cradle straps, broken sewing lines, loose rivets, defective lugs, and other defects.
Choosing and maintaining the proper safety headgear for your workers doesn’t have to be a headache with the tips above!
GET A FREE COMPLIANCE BRIEF ON HEAD PROTECTION
Learn about the different types and classes of hard hats so you can select the right head protection for your workers based on the hazards they face with our FREE Head Protection For Your Workers Compliance Brief.
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