Hard Hat

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Hard Hat

• Safety

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Birth of the Hard Hat

• The steel helmet World War I vet Edward Bullard
  used the steel helmet he wore in WWI as the
  inspiration for the hard hat.
• Designed to protect miners from falling objects.
• The first hard hat, the hard-boiled hat, was
  patented in 1919. It was made of canvas and
  resin.

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Birth of the Hard Hat

• 1933- a face shield with a window for vision was
  incorporated to meet workplace needs.
• 1938- Aluminum hard hats were introduced
  improving durability with less weight
• 1940s- Fiberglass used for hard hat construction
• 1950s- Hard hats manufactured from thermoplastics

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Personal Protection

• Hard hats protect against against impacts from
  falling objects or debris, electrical shocks and
  burns, penetration and flammability.

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Personal Protection

• Protects your face, head, neck, and shoulders
  against splashes, spills, and drips.

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Personal Protection

• The rigid shell of the hard hat will resist and
  deflect an impact to the head.
• The suspension system located inside the hard hat
  will absorb shock.
• The suspension should suspend the shell 1 1/4
  for shock absorption and ventilation

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When to Use a Hard Hat?

• When a person may be struck on the head by
  falling objects.?
• If a person could strike their head against a
  fixed or protruding object.
• If contact may be made between the head and
  electrical hazards.?
• When it is required

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Types Classes

• TYPE I - protects the top of the head from
  penetration and impact (typical hard hat)
• TYPE II - provides some protection for the top
  of the head and off-center
• CLASS C-Used in special services do not provide
  voltage protection designed for comfort and
  impact protection

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Types Classes

• CLASS E (Previously Class B)- Used for electrical
  work protects against falling objects as well as
  reduces the dangers involved with exposure to
  high voltage electrical shocks and burns.
• CLASS G (Previously Class A.)- Intended for
  general use provide protection against falling
  objects and reduce the danger of exposure to low
  voltage electrical conductors.

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Suspension System

• Quick Slide/Pin-Lock (right)- slides to adjust,
  equipped with a locking mechanism
• Ratchet (left)- equipped with ratchet adjusting
  knob to adjust the fit

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Hard Hat Accessories

• Face Shields
• Ear Muffs
• Sun Shields
• Neck Shields
• Flashlights
• Safety Light

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Hard Hat Stats.

• Each year there are approximately 120,000
  on-the-job head injuries nearly 1,500 of them
  fatal.
• A head injury occurs every 15 seconds in the U.S.
• Head injuries are one of the most costly work
  place accidents, averaging more than 135,000 per
  claim.

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Hard Hats and ANSI

• In 1997, the American National Standards
  Institute revised its performance standards for
  protective hard hats.
• ANSI Personal Protection - Protective Headwear
  for Industrial Workers - Requirements ANSI
  Z89.1-1997. (latest revision)
• All ANSI-compliant hard hats must meet
  flammability criteria.

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Standards TestingHard hat samples are either
cooled to 0?F or heated to 120?F for two hours
before testing

• Type I Impact Test- drop 8-lb steel ball from 5
  ft must not transfer no more than 1,000 lb peak
  force
• Type I Penetration Test- drop 2.2-lb pointed
  steel penetrator from 8 ft must not make contact
  with the head form
• Type II Impact and Penetration Test- drop
  helmeted head forms onto steel anvils and pointed
  steel penetrators.

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Standards Testing

• Electrical Conductivity Testing
• Before 1997- hard hats were tested by measuring
  the current in bodies of water inside and outside
  the hard hat
• After 1997- hard hats tested using metal foil on
  opposite surfaces of the shell of the hat
• Hard hat must with-stand 20,000 volts for 3
  minutes leaking less than 9 milliamps of current,
  followed by 30,000 volts without burning through

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Standards Testing

• Flammability Test
• Hard hat is exposed to a 1,550?F flame for 5
  seconds.
• Five seconds after removing the test flame there
  must be no visible flame on the hard hat.

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Safety is no accident!

• When hard hats are required
• employees should know
• Proper hard hat use (how to put on, wear, adjust,
  remove)
• When it is necessary to use a hard hat
• What kind of hard hats are necessary
• The limitations of hard hats in injury protection
• How to properly clean and maintain hard hat

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Hard Hat Maintenance

• Clean with hot water and antibacterial soap
• Check for wear in the shell- flaking, loss of
  surface gloss, deformation, cracking,
  perforations
• Check suspension systems for cracks, tears,
  fraying, or other forms of deterioration

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The Future of Hard Hats

• Changing helmet design by eliminating the need
  for sewing the suspension straps.
• Discovery of new materials that have better
  design qualities, such as higher strength and a
  greater resistance to heat, chemicals, and
  ultraviolet radiation
• Refine manufacturing techniques through new and
  advanced technology.

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Hard Hats

• Protection where it matters most.