Head Protection

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 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?

Are you wearing the proper protective equipment?

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
Employees shall be trained to know at least the following:

 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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 Training and Qualification
Retraining is required, but not limited to, the following situations:

 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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 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
Hazard Type Hazard Type Common related tasks
Impact Falling objects such Chipping, grinding, working under
as large chips, the structures, masonry work, wood
fragments, falling working, sand blasting, working at
tools, bolts, and small heights, riveting, sanding, etc.
objects.
Heat Anything emitting Furnace operations, pouring, casting,
extreme heat. hot dipping, welding, etc.
Chemicals Splash, fumes, vapors, Acid and chemical handling,
and irritating mists. degreasing, plating, and working with
blood.
Bump Obstruction, Piping erection, mechanical works,
congested area, Inspection, confined space works
protruding pipes and
equipments

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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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