As one of the most important kinds of safety products, workers should be very familiar with their hard hats. This crucial personal protective equipment (PPE) safeguards what is perhaps the most important part of the human body - the head. Different kinds of tasks and situations call for different kinds of hard hats, so it's important to know the difference between the ANSI-defined classes and available hard hats.

Types of Hard Hats: Impact Resistant, Electrical Resistant, and More

Hard hat safety starts with understanding regulations for industrial head protection, which cover both the work environments where protection is required as well as types and requirements of hard hats and other safety headwear.

OSHA Hard Hat Requirements

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) mandates that employers ensure head protection is used where impact hazards are present. OSHA also makes recommendations for materials as well as inspecting your hard hat. A helpful overview of guidelines for OSHA-compliant hard hats can be found by clicking this link. Certain industries, such as the construction industry, may have their own standards.

ANSI Hard Hat Requirements

OSHA makes recommendations, but its mandates only require employers ensure head protection is used. OSHA doesn't list specific criteria for industrial head protection, instead requiring that employers comply with the ANSI Z89.1 standards for head protection. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) develops standards for safety protective equipment as well as testing regulations for equipment manufacturers. It classifies industrial head protection by its range of protection against impact and electrical hazards.

Type I and Type II Hard Hats

All hard hats can be divided into two types - Type I and Type II.

• Type I hard hats are only designed to protect workers from objects and blows that come from above and strike the top of a helmet.
• Type II hard hats are designed to offer protection from lateral blows and objects. This includes from the front, back, and side as well as from the top. Type II hard hats are also tested for off-center penetration resistance and chin strap retention.

Hard Hat Classes

Hard hats are also divided into classes that indicate how well they protect against electrical shock.

• Class E (Electrical) hard hats can withstand up to 20,000 volts of electricity
• Class G (General) hard hats are able to withstand 2,200 volts of electricity
• Class C (Conductive) hard hats offer no protection from electric shock

Features of Hard Hats: From Durability to Comfort

Hard Hat Material & Suspensions

Hard hats are constructed with a hard, durable shell to resist impacts and a suspension system of straps and bands to fit the hat snugly to the wearer's head.

• Material: The best modern hard hats are typically made of high-strength plastics
• High-density polyethylene (HDPE): The most common hard hat material. HDPE is an affordable material that provides excellent impact resistance and also resists many commonly used chemicals
• Suspensions: Most hard hats have a suspension that can be adjusted for a custom fit. Suspensions typically have 4, 6, or 8 load-bearing points. Different adjustment options are available.
• Ratchet suspension: uses a knob to tighten or loosen the suspension's fit around the head while wearing the hard hat
• Pinlock suspension: the hard hat is removed and a pin is matched to a corresponding hole

Hard Hat Styles

Hard hats are available in different styles that offer advantages in different workplace environments.

• Cap hard hats: Have a short front brim that helps to shade the face from the sun and keep rain away from the eyes. Some cap hard hats can also be worn backwards so the front brim is over the back of the neck.
• Full brim hard hats: Feature a brim that goes around the entire cap and shades the face, back of the neck, and ears. The full brim can also help to channel rain and snow away from the face and head.