Maintaining the safety of your hard hat

Whether you work in construction, welding, or any other type of industrial job, you know the importance of safety. These types of professions demand safety awareness, and hard hats are no exception.

Hard hats are made to protect anyone from head injuries on the job. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires all company employers to provide their workers with hard hats and make sure that they use them. Head injuries are very common in these fields and can become fatal very quickly. The most common ways to get hurt are; falling objects, bumping heads on critical objects, and coming in contact with electrical hazards. If injured, major brain trauma could be caused.

Therefore, hard hats should be inspected before starting any job. Always look for any holes, cracks, stress fractures, damaged stitching or other signs of damage before you begin work. And make sure to keep them out of the sun to avoid cracking and losing their integrity. You should also be attentive for manufacture markings of authenticity and use. For the most part, hard hats are required to show permanent labels or markings showing the manufacturing name, class, type, and date of manufacturing and ANSI type.

The correct way to check your hard hat

Now that you know what to look out for when it comes to damage towards your hard hat, it is also important to know how to take care of it.

Always be sure to clean your hat. Depending on the job you are doing, there are times when it can get messy, especially if you are working in an environment where there might be a lot of dirt.  Washing your hard hat with mild soap and water will make it easier to spot damage if there is any. The manufacturer instructions should have instructions on how to clean their hard hat. And do not try and clean your hat with any type of chemicals or solvents.

It can be tempting wanting to modify your hard hat by adding stickers, inserting holes into it or even painting it another color, but this too should definitely be avoided. You want to avoid possibly messing with anything that was originally on your hat. Adding a collage of stickers and even painting it can hide any possible damage that your hat may have.  

And don’t forget to change out the hats suspension regularly. Depending on the manufacturer’s rules, they may have different time frames when you should replace them. Some hats require in between 2-5 years to replace, most will require replacing the suspension every 12 months. Most importantly, replace your hat immediately after any sign of damage. Purchasing a hard hat from dependable companies like Bullard and Fibre-Metal from Honeywell will save you from purchasing an unreliable hard hat. With their variety of equipment, you can find a hard hat that is specific for your work needs to keep you safe.

At Extreme Safety we carry a variety of hard hats including Bullard and Fibre-Metal. We understand safety first. For more information about the materials we carry or safety courses we offer contact us today!

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