Hard Hats Guide

Are Cowboy Hard Hats Safe?

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:43:04 +0000

Safety has always been important on jobsites, but in recent years, many construction accidents have placed safety concerns at the forefront. Every angle has been taken seriously, as OSHA courses have addressed both major and minor factors that can contribute to on-the-job injuries and accidents. Appropriate safety gear has been examined, and re-examined, from the type of boots a worker wears, to the specifications of the hard hat.

There are many types of hard hats that a worker can select from. One thing is certain, that a worker’s hard hat is a coveted piece of personal memorabilia. The stickers and sayings that go on a hardhat define the individual who wears it. Now, though, there are varied styles to meet the interests and safety needs of workers. Cowboy hard hats provide safety, with Western flair.

Cowboy hard hats are perfectly suited to the worker in an agricultural or out-of-doors environment, where a traditional cowboy hat might be worn. Cowboy hard hats provide the same rim of sun protection, important with the incidence of skin cancer in modern days. As well, hard hats in cowboy design provide some extra protection from active animals. Whether a ranch hand working on property and fence repairs, or a homesteader milking a stubborn cow, the extra protection of a hard hat combines with the Western style that fits the environment.

In a traditional work environment, hard hats are needed to protect an unsuspecting worker from falling objects. Cowboy hard hats serve that same purpose, while availing the worker of a favorite style. While it might seem more of a novelty, the reality is that many cowboy styles are constructed to comply with the same OSHA specifications that are expected from a traditional hard hat style.

When purchasing a cowboy style hard hat, or any hard hat, for that matter, it is essential that the worker who will use the piece of protective equipment in a real work setting verify the standard the hat meets. We are partial to Jackson Western Hard Hats which meet all necessary industry standards. There may be cowboy hard hats that are not OSHA ANSI Z89.1-2003 compliant, meaning that they are not guaranteed to protect against blows to the head. There are varied types of hardhats, and the categorizations relate to type of brim, and as well, to durability in the instance of contact with electrical current. It is important to verify jobsite needs, in terms of specific types of hard hat compliance. However, it is helpful to recognize that manufacturers of many Cowboy hard hats have taken these compliances into consideration.

It’s always great for worker morale to be able to personalize equipment. It’s even better when personal style can be expressed in the OSHA compliant headgear that is selected, as is the case with cowboy style hard hats. There are plenty of options, and the benefit is that the worker is protected.

Hard Hat Safety – How to Use a Hard Hat

admin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 09:11:53 +0000

The hard hat came into existence not more than 100 years ago during the Industrial Revolution. Thousands if not millions of construction workers slaved away in extremely unsafe locations all over the United States. The hundreds of deaths that occurred as a result of heavy object falls, electricity and chemical spills motivated some to come up with safety equipment for their workers. Thus in the early 1900s in San Francisco the first hard hat came into existence.
Today, hard hats are protection equipment for any individual working in an unstable environment. Generally speaking, this includes construction sites where large and heavy objects are susceptible to falling, supports under walls are still weak, and large building tools may be bumped and may fall to the ground. In all areas where there is a risk of the above (and other) events occurring there is always a hard hat safety sign. These zones then are restricted only for people who have a hard hat on. One natural question that comes to mind is: how do hard hats protect their wearers? After all, they seem to be regular hats made of thick plastic.
There are several features of a hard hat that serve to protect many areas of a person’s anatomy. The outer shell (the thick plastic part) is much harder than meets the eye. It is designed, both by material and shape, to resist and deflect any blows to the head. What many may not know is that there is a suspension system inside the hat that is designed to resist and absorb shock upon collision. Generally speaking even if the hat were to protect the head from a heavy falling object, the shock waves of the hit have a potential of causing a concussion. The suspension system essentially minimizes the shock waves. Many hard hats are also made with insulating material. This is important because many construction sites have open electrical wires. The hard hat serves to absorb electrical shock. In addition to these, hard hat safety takes into consideration spills and drips; especially those that may come from a hazardous substance such as a chemical. Hard hats protect neck, face and shoulders against such incidences. There are also modifications to hard hats that allows face shield, hoods, goggles and ear protection attachments. This essentially fully surrounds the head, neck and shoulder area and keeps any unwanted substance away.
All hard hats must go through special hard hat safety standards before they are put out on the market. These regulations comply with OHSA regulations which ask several questions of the hard hat design. First of all, can a worker wear weather protection under the hard hat? And when should variations on the regular hard hat be used in the work place? The OHSA is very detailed in their inspection of every manufacturing of a hard hat and their regulations change often. This keeps employers constantly involved and invested in the safety equipment of their workers and makes for a safer work place.

Hard Hats – History and Use

admin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:03:51 +0000

Hard Hats are hats designed for a practical purpose of protecting the head. They were originally designed as a means to protect the head from intensive work conditions that more than often can result in fatal head injuries.

The first person said to come up with the idea for these hats is a guy by the name of Franz Kafka when he worked at the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia (1912). However, the U.S. mining equipment firm, E.D. Bullard Company by Edward Dickinson Bullard actually sold protective hats and that company started in 1898. It was not until his son came back from the first World War I, he developed an idea that involved his steel helmet. It was then that Bullard actually patented a “Hard-Boiled Hat” consisting of materials such as steamed canvas, glue and black paint. After this idea took off the U.S. Navy commissioned Bullard to design shipyard hats. This is when hard hats started to spread like wildfire! Two major constructions such as the building of the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s required workers to use these hats, so this started to become a staple within heavy duty work.

The design has evolved to use different materials that project a much more durable structure. In the late 1930s, the major material used for Hard Hats included Aluminum because it was a really tough but flexible metal. However, the design called for Fiberglass in the 1940s due to it being much easier to make as well as being durable. As technology started to rely more on ease and efficiency, thermoplastics came into effect because it was easy to mold, easy to manufacture and it saved a lot of money to create. Nowadays, these hats are based more on a really rigid plastic. The 1950s created the framework for the modern hard hats.

Nowadays, hard hats can be used for a wide range of purposes beyond construction. If a person were to get a hat to protect them for welding purposes, there are protective hats that include visors so you not only protect your head, but you protect your eyes as well. It’s multi-functional and a safe way to use utensils. Also, if a person is fixing a light or something on a roof, it’s very necessary to have protective hats to save from freak accidents or random objects from falling on the head. Even though construction was the primary reason of hard hats, different colors can represent different roles in the profession. It’s a good way to remember the roles of people working on the project such as laborers, inspectors, managers, etc.

The role of the hard hat has even diversified for different jobs such as firefighters because it helps with protecting the head during certain falls, big particles from the house falling down during fires, and other ways. With these protective hats, high labor jobs have become safer. The practicality and design helps to maintain a much more efficient working environment not only saving money from possible structural damage and insurance costs from workers, but saves lives as well.