HEAD PROTECTION: Should your hard hat be inspected and how often?
When it comes to head protection OSHA requires the employer to ensure that each employee has to wear a protective helmet when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects. There are thousands of hard hats and helmets on the market to choose from. After you have researched and chosen the best hard hat for your workers each employee should inspect the hard hat before each use. There after, follow the tips below for head protection safety.
Should your hard hat be inspected, how often and what should be some of the guidelines?
Your hard hat should be cleaned and inspected daily. Below are just some of the items that should be looked for when inspecting your hard hat:
- Suspension straps - Look for any fraying, stretching, tearing or general disrepair
- Suspension strap tabs - Inspect to make sure there are no visible cracks or weak points
- Foam - Cracking, pieces missing or other types of degradation
- Shell - Inspect for cracks, dents, holes or degradation from UV radiation or other weather elements
If any of these conditions exist, the hard hat should be replaced as soon as possible.
How long should our hat be in service?
Along with our daily inspections, most manufacturers specify a service life of 2-5 years depending on the application. The manufacturer date of a hat can be found on the inside of it.
What are some other good housekeeping guidelines for our hard hats?
Keeping hard hats in good working condition is critical for our safety. Generally, we would not want do anything that may compromise their intended purpose. This could happen by modifying it or by using accessories not designed for hard hats.
Tossing or sitting on our hard hat could compromise its integrity. Do not place items inside the hard hat while wearing it as this could decrease the effectiveness of its ability to protect us should and impact occur.
Generally hard hats should not be worn backwards. If visibility is a problem with a particular task a Peakview Hard Hat is an ideal choice for head protection.
Head Protection | Safety Hard Hats & Safety Helmets
