If you have passed by a building site, you will have undoubtedly seen the workers sporting hardhats. These helmets have a protective function. Their main purpose is to shield those who wear them from impacts that may occur due to debris which falls from an over head location.
Sites
On construction sites, it is often the case that heavy materials are being used at high levels. The risk of head injury in this kind of environment is high. This danger can be greatly reduced by wearing one of these all-important items of safety wear. Those sporting it can even prevent skull and brain injury resulting from loose, live electric cables. You may also need commercial hi vis rain gear.
Structure
The secret to the success of this lifesaver lies in how it is made. On the interior you can find a plastic, raised structure which creates a dome between the tough exterior material and the surface of the head. This also creates a space between the head surface and the exterior hat surface. As an added safety feature, there is often an external raised peak.
Protection
When struck by any hard force, the wearer’s head is cushioned. The design ensures that impact is evenly distributed along the dome of the outside surface. In addition, some of these hats come with a pronounced ridge along the outside surface. This gives added protection against any kind of impact.
Protection
Regulatory bodies have now made the wearing of these hats compulsory in certain environments like a building site. It can have a protective role in situations where headspace is limited. Areas with exposed surfaces with uneven pieces of metal or wood jutting out are another environment where it will be worn. It can also give protection in situations where there is a threat of building materials collapsing.
Change
At the beginning when they become widely noticed and used, safety hats were made out of metal. As time passed by, fiberglass was the main component. Today, most of these lifesavers are made out of tough and durable plastics.
Options
There are variations of the hard hat that get everyday use. If you have a bicycle, motorbike or even have been a skate boarder, you will be familiar with the safety first message that comes with using any of these methods of getting around. They share the main purpose of a hardhat and keep the head safe from knocks, bangs and falls. Hard hats are probably most well known for their bright colors. Using coloring like this helps with visibility. Using different colors can also be useful way of identifying someone who may wander into a restricted area.