Head Protection
Protecting employees from potential head injuries is a key element of any safety program.
Hard hats can protect employees from impact and penetration hazards as well as from electrical shock and burn hazards.
Employers must ensure that their employees wear head protection if any of the following apply:
- Objects might fall from above and strike them on the head;
- They might bump their heads against fixed objects, such as exposed pipes or beams; or
- There is a possibility of accidental head contact with electrical hazards.
Types of Hard Hats
In addition to selecting protective headgear that meets ANSI Z89.1 standard requirements, employers should ensure that employees wear hard hats that provide appropriate protection against potential workplace hazards. It is important for employers to understand all potential hazards through a comprehensive hazard analysis and an awareness of the different types of protective headgear available.
There are two basic types of hard hats:
- Type I - Commonly used in the United States. Provides protection to the top of the head. This form of impact, for example, may result from a hammer or nail gun falling from above.
- Type II - Commonly used in Europe. Provides protection to the top and sides of the head. This form of impact, for example, may result from contact with the sharp corner of a side beam.
Hard hats are divided into three industrial classes:
- Class G - General hard hats provide impact and penetration resistance along with limited voltage protection (up to 2,200 volts).
- Class E - Electrical hard hats provide the highest level of protection against electrical hazards, with high-voltage shock and burn protection (up to 20,000 volts). They also provide protection from impact and penetration hazards by flying/falling objects.
- Class C - Conductive hard hats provide lightweight comfort and impact protection but offer no protection from electrical hazards.
ANSI Z89.1 introduced three non-mandatory tests for hard hats:
- Reverse donning: Hard hats marked with a "reverse donning arrow" can be worn frontward or backward.
- Lower temperature (LT) indicates that the hard hat meets all testing requirements of the standard when preconditioned at a temperature of -30°C (-22°F).
- High visibility (HV) indicates that the hard hat meets all testing requirements of the standard for high visibility colors.
Bump Caps: Another class of protective headgear on the market is called a "bump hat," designed for use in areas with low head clearance. They are recommended for areas where protection is needed from head bumps and lacerations. These are not designed to protect against falling or flying objects and are not ANSI approved.
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1-3. Which class of hard hats provides the highest level of protection against electrical hazards?
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