Head Protection

Head Protection

• Despite their status as the brain's bodyguard, hard hats suffer a lot of abuse. What other type of personal protection is regularly dropped, sat on or left to bake in the back of a truck? What other type of head gear, for that matter, is left so dirty that, "You take a look at it and you think, 'I wouldn't want to put that on my head. I wouldn't even want to use it to scoop dirt in the back yard.

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Head Protection

Are you in danger of becoming a statistic?

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Are you wearing the proper protective equipment?

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What is your employer’s responsibility?

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Head Protection

• Does the helmet fit properly
• Does it offer protection against the specific occupational exposure, such as temperature extremes, falling objects, electrical hazards, etc?
• Are liners, chin straps and sweatbands used to keep it in place?

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Training and Qualification

• When PPE is necessary
• What PPE is necessary
• How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE
• The limitations of the PPE
• The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE

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Employees shall be trained to know at least the following: 

Training and Qualification

• Changes in the workplace
• Changes in the types of PPE to be used
• Inadequacies in an affected employee’s knowledge or use of assigned PPE indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill

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Retraining is required, but not limited to, the following situations:

PPE Requirements

Head protection must comply with the;

• British Standards European Norms
• BS EN 397:1995 - Industrial Safety Helmets
• BS EN 13087 - Protective Helmets Test Method
• American National Standards Institute, Z89.1-1997

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PPE Requirements

Protectors must:

• Provide adequate protection against the particular hazards for which they are designed
• Be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed
• Be reasonably comfortable
• Fit snugly and shall not unduly interfere with the movements of the wearer
• Be durable
• Be easily cleanable

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Helmet’s Shell

• The most obvious part of the system is the helmet's shell, most frequently made of polyethylene these days, but also manufactured from polycarbonate, fiberglass or other materials. This shell provides a barrier against impacts and is rounded to mainly protect the crown of the head.

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Helmet’s Suspension

• The second major component of the system is the suspension. While it gets less attention than the shell, In most cases, the suspension does about 85 percent of the work." The plastic suspension is designed to stretch and absorb the shock of a blow.
• "Most people look at the shell and they never look at the suspension because they assume that the shell is a hard piece of plastic and that it is what is protecting them. In reality, the shell and the suspension work together, and both are necessary if the hard hat is to offer all the protection it was designed to provide.

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Helmet’s Inspection

• Hard hat should be inspect daily for signs of wear or damage, the shell should be inspected for "dents, cracks, nicks, gouges and any damage due to impact, penetration, abrasions, rough treatment or wear that might reduce the degree of protection originally provided."
• Hard hats are susceptible to deterioration over time from exposure to sunlight, heat and chemicals. The shiny surface of a new hard hat becomes dull, chalky or starts to flake.

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Helmet’s Inspection

• Suspensions also age and may begin to crack, tear or fray. Hair oils and other materials in the environment can begin to affect the elasticity and strength of the suspension. It is recommended that replacing the suspension every 12 months to keep the head protection in good working order.
• Any hard hat that shows signs of worn or damaged parts should be removed from service immediately and replaced.

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Helmet’s Maintenance

• For routine maintenance, scrubbing the shell and suspension with a mild detergent and rinsing with warm water.
• Hard hats should be replaced every two to five years. Any hard hat that shows signs of worn or damaged parts should be removed from service immediately and replaced.

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Wearing Hard Hats Correctly

• To provide the intended level of protection, industrial hard hats must be worn according to the manufacturers' directions. Normally, the brim of the hard hat should be facing forward. Users can wear hard hats backward as long as the product is designed for such use and the wearer makes sure to turn the suspension so that the nape strap remains on the nape of the neck. The hard hat suspension should be adjusted so it fits comfortably on the top of the head, and should never be tilted back on the head.

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Wearing Hard Hats Correctly

• Baseball caps, skull caps and other items should not be worn under the helmet. Such items could reduce the space between the head and the shell, thus limiting the protection afforded by the helmet. Moreover, many caps have buttons, eyelets and other items that could harm the worker if an impact occurs.
• Hard hat manufacturers also warn that self-adhesive stickers should be placed at least 1/2 inch above the brim, and should not be placed where they will cover any cracks or other damage to the helmet.

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Selecting PPE for the Workplace

The employer must assess the workplace and determine if hazards that necessitate the use of Head protection are present, or are likely to be present, before assigning PPE to workers.

A hazard assessment determines the risk of exposure to head hazards, including emergency situations.

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Hazard Assessment

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Summary

When employees are trained to work safely they should be able to anticipate and avoid injury from job-related hazards.

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