Hard Hats For A Safer Workplace

By Debra Cooley


In any job site, it is always important to have all types of precautions, such as wearing hard hats. It is a kind of helmet that are used to safeguard you from injuries resulting from falling debris, objects, electric shocks, impact from other objects and electric shocks. In these hazardous environments, the safety of human life is the biggest concern there is.

One of the dangerous jobs out there is in construction, which may require a higher level of safety precautions. If something is dropped and falls on a person, it can have a lethal consequence especially if it is from a high elevation and strikes the head. This can become a very serious problem for the person and the company involved.

They can protect the most delicate parts of your body such as the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and your brain. A single injury can handicap you for the rest of your life. Protective equipment like eyeglasses or goggles, protective clothing, and steel toe boots are generally used along with the helmet to give a whole body protection.

These helmets are made to resist puncture from objects and to absorb the shocks from a blow. Most of them are also resistant to electricity and water and they should not easily get burned and must be properly ventilated for the comfort of the wearer. In the past they were made mostly of aluminum metal and fiberglass though the now they are mostly made of plastic which are very firm, durable, and light.

They are separated into three industrial classes. Class A helmets are designed for general service and they provide good impact absorption, but limited voltage protection. They are mainly used in mining, building construction, shipbuilding, lumbering and manufacturing. Class B are good for jobs that are engaged in electrical works.

These are great choice if you want to be more protected against burns or high voltage shocks aside from falling objects. Class C types, on another hand, were made for the comfort of the wearer and are more light in weight, yet they offer limited protection. Although it can prevent you from getting injured from bumping stationary objects, it cannot effectively protect the employee against electric shocks and falling materials.

They can also be fitted with other accessories such as ear protectors, visors, flashlight or headlamps, insulation pads and even mirrors. Chinstraps and sweatbands are required by contractors to prevent the helmet from slipping off, which is potentially hazardous to those below them. Most laborers working on road maintenance have fluorescent strips or reflectors on their hats for added safety when working on the highways.

If they are taken good care of, they can be used for five years and then be replaced after. They have different colors to indicate their different roles in the workplace which depends on the company. For instance, the white ones are usually worn by managers, supervisor and engineers while yellow is worn by the laborers.

Yellow are usually worn by the workmen and orange or pink are worn by new employees and visitors. Workers should clean their hard hats periodically so that it can be used for a long time. Other than that, they should always wear it on site so that they will be protected at all times.




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