Why are hard hats so expensive?

The best hard hat you can get is the right one for the work you are doing.

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Hard hats primarily are made to protect you from impacts to your head, but there are models that also are made to protect you from electrical currents and shocks.

A hard hat is a piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) that protects your head. Hard hats reduce head injuries on the job and are made to be very durable and strong. Most modern hard hats are made of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material or an advanced type of resin.

The best hard hat for you will be determined by the kind of work you are doing. Not all hard hats are equal, however, and you should always try and get a good quality hard hat to protect yourself from head injuries. The accessories you need will also be determined by the work that you will be doing.

What Does a Hard Hat Protect Me From?

Hard Hats can shield you from dangers other than crashes and shocks. Some of these dangers consist of:

• Water damage: Hard hats are either water-proof or water-resistant, which keeps water out. 
• Penetration and cuts: The cross-molded pattern used in the material&#;s construction prevents most sharp items from piercing or slicing through the surface.
• Falling objects: Falling objects can cause an impact injury, which is less often. Hard hats are made to absorb impact and deflect it as much as possible away from your head. 
• Burns: To protect your head from burns, every hard hat is comprised of a fire-resistant or fireproof material.

Recognize that not all risks may be avoided by wearing a hard hats, and that your company may have additional PPE requirements. To achieve the greatest level of safety, use all PPE available for your task, not simply a hard hat. 

Who Needs to Wear Hard Hats?

Hard hats are necessary for certain jobs but not all. Your requirement to wear a hard hat will be largely influenced by the sort of work you undertake. For instance, unless there is no potential for a head injury, all construction workers must wear hard hats. 

Employees are not required by OSHA to wear hard hats. However, OSHA expects employers to make the decision about whether or not their employees should wear hard hats and whether or not there is a danger of head injury at work. 

Other professions that frequently demand a hard hat include some of the following:

• Electricians
• Freight handlers
• Welders
• Heavy machinery operators
• Lumberyard workers
• Warehouse workers
• Mechanics
• Archaeologists 
• Miners

When Should Hard Hats Be Worn?

If there is even a remote chance that you are working in an area where something could fall and strike you in the head, you should wear a hard hat, always. Even taking off your hard hat for a minute could be potentially dangerous in certain types of workplaces. To demonstrate the importance of wearing a hard hat at all times, consider the following story:

Troy, a door installer, was working with a demolition crew to modify a passenger elevator. The concrete floor of the elevator shaft had to be removed and the basement door had to be rehung. Troy was removing debris on the first floor to an outside collection point, which required him to move through a location with two overhead swing stage scaffolds. He knew there were brick masons on the scaffolds, repairing the facade, but decided he wouldn&#;t be there long and didn&#;t need a hard hat. While attempting to move through this area, Troy was struck in the head by a falling brick, fracturing his skull. Although he was rushed to the hospital right away, he would end up dying from a traumatic brain injury later that day.

Troy was not wearing a hard hat in this incident. Had he been wearing one, he may have suffered a concussion at the very worst. Troy was aware that he was working somewhere with overhead hazards, and yet had decided to not wear a hard hat. 

When a hard hat should be worn is an easy question to answer: always. Only if there is absolutely no chance of overhead hazards should you not wear a hard hat. 

What Are Hard Hats made of?

The very first hard hats in the United States were made of leather in the late &#;s leading into the early &#;s. During World War I, many soldiers wore steel helmets, which sparked the idea of metal helmets that could be used to improve industry safety. This started the production of metal hard hats in the &#;s up until the &#;s. 

From there the material would change over the next decade to a Bakelite/resin composite material and then to fiberglass. In the &#;s, most hard hats were generally made from molded thermoplastic. This significantly reduced both the weight and the cost of hard hats, without compromising their ability to protect the wearer&#;s head. 

Some hard hats today are still made of fiberglass or molded thermoplastics. But most modern hard hats are made from non-conductive, high-density polyethylene. It isn&#;t uncommon, however, to see hard hats made of different materials as well. 

What Styles of Hard Hats Are There?

There are several different types of hard hats available. Hard hats come in a variety of designs and are used for various tasks. Depending on the task you are performing, numerous accessories that come with hard hats offer additional protection. Here, we&#;ll talk about some of the most popular hard hat variations and the functions they each have.

Brim Hard Hat

A hard hat with a brim on the front, as the name indicates, is referred to as one with a brim. This protrudes just enough to give the wearer a tiny bit of eye protection. These hard hats are perfect for outdoor jobs where there is a significant likelihood of sun exposure. 

Full-Brim Hard Hat

Similar to a brim hat, a full-brim hat has a brim that wraps completely around the hard hat. Full-brim hard hats are more suited to deflecting rain away from the head and face than only shielding the user from the sun. 

Cap Style Hard Hat

These hard hats are similar to hard hats with brims, but the brim is often longer and offers additional facial protection. They feature an appearance that is quite similar to a baseball cap or other hats with a lengthy visor on the front.

Ventilated Hard Hats

To let air in and keep your head cool while working, these hard hats contain vents on the sides near the brim. If you&#;re working outside in hot weather, they are quite wonderful. These hard hats are frequently used by construction workers who perform their work in locations free from electrical risks.

There are many different types of suspension systems used with hard hats for adjusting to the wearer&#;s head size and for making the hard hat more comfortable. The suspension is also responsible for creating a gap between the outer shell of the hard hat and the wearer&#;s head. This way when it takes an impact, the shell absorbs most of the force and eliminates or reduces the amount of force that the wearer&#;s head takes. 

The suspension system is adjusted at the nape strap, a part of the system located above the nape of the neck at the back of the head. The three most common systems are:

• Ratchet(Fas-Trac): This suspension system adjusts by twisting a knob on the back to tighten and loosen itself.  
• Pin lock: This suspension system has a track with a pin that you lift, move the track where you want it, then drop the pin in place to hold the track where you want it. 
• 1-touch: This suspension system is adjusted by holding a button on the track, moving the track where you want it, then releasing the button so it locks in place.

The suspension system is the same for creating the gap between the outer shell and the wearer&#;s head, but the suspension system can vary in how it adjusts. It is all a matter of personal preference and doesn&#;t necessarily make a difference in how effective the hard hat is.

Hard Hat Accessories 

There are many accessories that can be included or attached to hard hats to provide you with additional protection against workplace hazards. Some examples of these accessories include:

• Hearing protection: These are used for employees that work in an environment with loud or repetitive noises. 
• Face shields: There are heavy face shields used primarily by welders but also more lightweight face shields used by employees that risk exposure to chemical splashes. 
• Headlights: These are typically used by employees that have to work in dark areas, such as miners. 
• Neck shades: These are used mostly by outdoor workers to protect the neck and sides of the head from exposure to the sun.
• Mirrors: This uncommon accessory can help increase the wearer&#;s field of view. 
• Chin straps: These are more common on certain models of hard hats and help hold the hard hat in place on the wearer&#;s head. 
• Padding: For cold weather conditions, some hard hats have padding inside to keep the wearer&#;s head warm. 
• Visors: If your hard hat is not a cap style or brim style hard hat, there are attachable visors to protect your face from the shade.

Can I Wear a Bump Cap Instead of a Hard Hat?

Bump caps are not approved by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI). Because OSHA relies on the standards of ANSI regarding head protection, OSHA does not count a bump cap as a hard hat. Bump caps simply do not offer sufficient protection employees need from falling objects and can only protect employees&#; heads from minor impacts. 

How to Wear a Hard Hat

Hard hats usually have suspension straps that help you adjust the hard hat to fit snugly on your head. A well-fitting hard hat does not blind, slip, or fall off. Be sure that there is proper space between the shell and the suspension straps. This is to provide ventilation and impact distribution. 

After purchasing a hard hat, ensure that it is comfortable, fits properly, and does not irritate your skin. There are different thickness options and material options for suspension straps, so find what works best for you when choosing a hard hat.  

Am I Required to Wear My Hard Hat a Certain Way?

OSHA only asks that employees wear hard hats when there is danger of head injury in their workplace. OSHA does not regulate how you wear your hard hat. Some employees like to wear the hard hat backwards. Some hard hats can be worn backwards while others cannot. 

Certain brim and cap style hats can be worn backwards to protect your neck from the shade, but then expose your face. It all comes down to preference, but there is no requirement for how you need to wear it unless your employer says otherwise. 

Know however, that some hard hats cannot be worn more than one way and these hard hats should not be worn another way. If it can be worn backwards, it will have a &#;reverse donning arrow&#; and wearing instructions from the manufacturer. 

Classification of Hard Hats

ANSI separates hard hats into different classes rated for protection against electrical hazards. They are as follows:

• Class C: Class C hard hats do not offer any electrical protection and are even conductive to electricity, making them dangerous for workplaces that could possibly face electrical hazards. 
• Class G: Class G hard hats are rated for a minimal amount of electrical protection&#; up to 2,200 volts to be exact. They are ideal for workplaces that could face electrical hazards but generally do not. 
• Class E: Class E hard hats are rated for up to 20,000 volts of electricity, making them the most ideal for working with electricity. They are essential for workplaces that are certain to face electric hazards. 

There are also two types of hard hats that classify what kind of impacts they are rated for. 

• Type I: These hard hats offer protection from vertical impacts and penetration. They are most commonly used in the United States.
• Type II: These hard hats offer protection from both vertical and lateral impacts and penetration. They are most commonly used in Europe.

Colors of Hard Hats

OSHA does not regulate the colors of hard hats or their designation. However, the colors of hard hats can be significant, especially in the construction industry. In certain work environments, they can designate what role the person wearing them has in the workplace. The colors and their meanings are:

• White or Black: White or black hard hats are usually worn by supervisors, foremen, and engineers. Less commonly, they are worn by vehicle operators and competent persons. 
• Yellow: Yellow is to be worn by general workers and earth movers; it is the most common hard hat color to see on a construction site.
• Green: Green is for safety inspectors and sometimes is worn to designate new workers.
• Blue: Blue is for specialists on the construction site, such as carpenters, electricians, temporary workers, and subcontractors. 
• Brown: Brown is worn by any worker that does hot work on a construction site, such as welders. 
• Orange: Orange is usually intended for signallers and slingers on site, but is less common to see.

You should wear the right color hard hat for your role in the workplace unless your employer has determined that color coding with hard hats to be unnecessary. 

Can Class G and Class E Hard Hats Be Ventilated?

Unfortunately, ventilation on class G and class E hard hats would be counterproductive in preventing electrical shocks to the head. There are no class G or class E hard hats that are ventilated for this reason. The only class of ventilated hard hats that are available for OSHA-aligned use are class C hard hats. 

What is the Best Hard Hat for Me?

The hard hat that is most appropriate for the task you do is the ideal hard hat for you. As was already mentioned, not all hard hats are approved for use when working with electricity. Others don&#;t, while some feature brims to shield your face from the sun. When searching for the ideal hard hat , options like these should be taken into account. 

As a general rule, construction workers wear Class G hard hats since the task may expose them to electrical hazards. Of course, electricians wear Class E hard hats . When choosing a hard hat (and accessories), consider the risks and/or environmental conditions you could be exposed to. 

Top Recommended Hard Hats

Many of these hard hats that fall under the top rated and recommended are the best for certain jobs or industries. This means that one hard hat is not necessarily better than another, but might be better for a certain employee or profession that requires a hard hat for the specific type of work. 

• Overall best quality and reliability: PYRAMEX Ridgeline Full Brim Hard Hat, 4-Point Ratchet Suspension, Matte Black Graphite Pattern
• Best cap style hard hat: DAX Cap Style Safety Hard Hat (Matte Real Carbon Fiber)
• Best hard hat with a light: Klein Tools Hard Hat, Light, Vented Full Brim Style
• Most comfortable hard hat: Lift Safety HDF-15NG DAX Hard Hat
• Best class C hard hat: Evolution Deluxe 280-EV-10V Full Brim Hard Hat
• Best hard hat for the price: Pyramex Ridgeline Cap Style Hard Hat, 4-Point Ratchet Suspension, White

Which Material is the Best for Hard Hats?

Any material that fits ANSI standards for hard hats is acceptable. There are many different materials that can be used, all of which can affect the cost. However, understanding which materials typically fall under which class of hard hat is important in determining which hard hat is best for you.

• Aluminum hard hats are metal, making them one of the heaviest options and the most conductive class C hard hats. 
• Carbon fiber hard hats are lightweight, fairly priced, and offer class C protection, meaning they do not provide protection from electrical hazards. 
• Fiberglass hard hats are lightweight and usually offer class G protection, meaning they somewhat protect you from electrical hazards. 
• Resin hard hats are rare, but most usually, hard hats will be made primarily of something else and then coated with resin. This is because the resin is electric resistant and can provide class G and sometimes class E protection. 
• ABS plastic hard hats are durable, cheaper options that offer class C, G, or E protection, depending on where you buy them from. 
• High-density polyethylene is one of the best options for Class E hard hats because they are an organic material that has very low conductivity and is reasonably priced. 
• Kevlar hard hats are expensive, rare, and bullet-proof. They are very durable and are usually made with carbon fiber to reduce the weight. The problem is they only come in class C, making them not ideal for working with electrical hazards. 

A few companies have started using carbon fiber and Kevlar as their main composite for their hard hats. These hard hats are ANSI aligned and made with aerospace-grade carbon fiber and Kevlar. Learn more about thisnew hard hat tech.

How Much Do Hard Hats Cost?

On average, type 1 hard hats cost around $30 each. Type 2 hard hats tend to cost more, around $50 each. There are more expensive models and cheaper models of both types, but quality is what matters most. A more expensive hard hat does not always mean a higher quality or stronger impact-rated hard hat. 

Usually, a hard hat may be more expensive because it comes with certain accessories or comes in a special design or color. Hard hats with face shields built for welders, for example, will be significantly more expensive than traditional construction hard hats. 

Hard hat&#;s material can also affect the cost. For example, kevlar and carbon fiber hard hats tend to be more expensive than ABS and resin coated hard hats. 

Where Should I Buy Hard Hats From?

It doesn&#;t matter much where you buy your hard hat from, so long as it meets the ANSI/OSHA Requirements needed for your workplace. Different sellers will have different prices and options, so you don&#;t have to settle for something less than what you need. There are many viable options from popular online retailers like Amazon, and also from local businesses like Harbor Freight.

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Buying them directly from the manufacturer is not a bad idea, but will not make a difference in how much you pay unless you plan on buying them in bulk. 

Hard Hat Inspections

It is important to keep your hard hat clean and inspect your hard hat prior to work everyday. Look for cracks, holes, tears in suspension, and UV damage. Always store your hard hat away from the sun, since extreme heat and sunlight can damage it overtime. 

When Should I Replace My Hard Hat?

Even if there is no sign of damage on your hard hat, you should replace it immediately after it sustains an impact from any object. Dispose of that hard hat and get a new one before continuing work. Any small crack or break in the hard hat, whether visible or not, can compromise the integrity of the hard hat. This means that if it sustains another impact, it is possible it will not protect you sufficiently. 

Another good way to tell that your hard hat should be replaced is if it loses its glossy texture. This is a clear indication of UV damage. You should also replace your hard hat as soon as it expires. It is possible that the suspension straps on your hard hat wear out or break. Although this may not seem to compromise the surface of the hard hat itself, it is equally important. The suspension straps help keep the hard hat in place on your head and absorb impacts. 

If the hard hat cannot fit and sit on your head correctly, it cannot be suitable for use and should be replaced. Suspensions should be inspected and replaced every 12 months. Using an expired hard hat could compromise your safety.

Do Hard Hats Expire?

Hard Hats don&#;t technically expire, but as a rule of thumb, any hard hat that goes undamaged should still be replaced every five years. This means regardless of how they look or how little wear they may have, they should be replaced five years after the manufacture date. 

To check and see when the hat was manufactured, flip your hat over and look on the inside. Usually, a stamped date will be on the brim, but it&#;s possible that it will be elsewhere on the inside. The stamp looks like a circular pattern of numbers. The number in the middle is the year of manufacture, and the arrow in the middle will point to the number that is the month of the year it was manufactured. The other numbers are the serial number of the hard hat and can be ignored. 

Can I Modify My Hard Hat?

Modifying your hard hat is never acceptable. Many employees like to drill holes for ventilation or engrave designs on the surface of their hard hats, but this compromises the integrity of the hard hat. Any modification that punctures or in some way damages the hard hat makes it unsuitable for use and must be replaced. 

The only &#;modifications&#; that are acceptable are cosmetic ones, although OSHA generally frowns upon this. Some employees like to add stickers to or paint their hard hats, which is only acceptable so long as the manufacturer of the hard hat has authorized it. 

OSHA has these standards regarding cosmetic alterations of hard hats because painting the surface of a hard hat or putting labels on it could potentially eliminate its electrical resistance. Also, adding stickers or labels could hide cracks and wear that will deem a hard hat unsafe for use. 

There have been some interesting conversations on-line surrounding the emerging debate of hard hats versus helmets. It&#;s been interesting to read because many of the comments have surprised me. I have been directly involved in transitioning a large group of people over to construction helmets, and have assisted and watched several other groups with their transition. Most of the feedback I received focused on fit, comfort, the different look, no brim, etc. These were all fairly easy issues to handle, with time taking care of most of them, and proper helmet and accessory selection taking care of the rest. 

What&#;s been interesting to read about on-line are some of the comments that I have not personally received or even thought about. The on-line discussions reach a much broader audience than just a single company, trade, or region, so its not surprising to end up with a more diverse set of opinions. The most surprising comment I have seen surrounding this debate is that we shouldn&#;t need either, and that relying on PPE such as a hard hat or helmet ignores the broader issue. Others believe that in many phases and types of construction, there are no hazards that should mandate head protection anyway, so we shouldn&#;t be required to wear anything. 

Surprisingly enough, I am no stranger to this line of reasoning. In fact I have made similar statements myself in the distant past. And more recently, I have been spending time on many residential construction sites where I am the only one in a hardhat (or helmet). For my part, I spent years managing a civil construction company with the majority of work being large public street improvement projects. Back then (it was many years ago) I did tend to take the attitude that I had no overhead hazards on my sites, and that a hardhat was going to be of no use if a car hit me in a work zone. The only trade I had on my jobs that wore hardhats was the traffic signal contractor, who always wore them. Their safety manager was the one who introduced me to the concept of hardhats being more than just protection from falling objects&#;they were a constant reminder to work safe. 

I took this to heart, but honestly didn&#;t do much with it, until I transitioned into vertical construction. This transition vastly affected my views and approach on safety management. In my younger days, my projects were mostly horizontal, and even when I had multiple trades on the site, we rarely worked stacked up on each other. We each tended to control our own work areas, and with only a small handful of trades on site, I easily controlled the activities. Other than some close calls with traffic, I don&#;t recall any injuries on my sites. 

Vertical construction was vastly different. Trades were stacked up on each other both figuratively and literally. I realized that even though an individual trade may be very good at training their employees to stay safe and protected while they perform their work, they don&#;t necessarily focus on hazards they may be creating for the other trades and people working around them: next to, above, and below. The work is also much more people intensive, whereas in horizontal construction it was more equipment intensive. 

Pulling it all Together

So how does this all relate to the helmet versus hardhat debate? And how do we address those that rightly point out that PPE is supposed to be the last line of defense in our hierarchy of controls? And is there any validity to that concept of hardhats reminding everyone to work safe? 

As I mentioned, I have been spending more time on some residential construction projects lately. The visual on a typical production single family home project is vastly different than on a commercial project. No one in hardhats, or vests, or safety glasses, or boots. I stick out when I walk on wearing PPE. So the question is, is my personal PPE needed, or should I look like everyone else because there are no hazards present that necessitate PPE? 

Is my personal PPE needed, or should I look like everyone else because there are no hazards present that necessitate PPE? 

One thing is for sure: people see me and instantly check what they are doing. Some climb down off of the precarious platform on which they are working without any fall protection. Others go find a hard hat. A few quickly un-tie the guard they disabled on their nail gun or skill saw. This is all without me saying a word. So does wearing a hardhat, and other PPE, remind people to work safe? I&#;m going with a YES on this one. 

But should it be required? Are we ignoring the importance of eliminating some hazards and jumping straight to PPE? 

Examining the hazards on any typical construction site, I don&#;t think so. There are too many trades working in one area to believe that we are going to completely eliminate all hazards. We wear boots because the walking and working surfaces on even the best construction sites vary from area to area and day to day. We wear hi-vis clothing because it helps equipment operators see us as we share the same space on a job site. And we wear hard hats because there are always overhead hazards that are not completely in our control. Yes, we need to continue to push for tool tethers, toe boards, and debris nets, but again, when you walk around a construction site you are potentially exposed to hazards created by other trades that don&#;t even know you are there. Even when extensive steps are taken it would be foolish to believe that all hazards, or potential hazards, have been eliminated. Hardhats are the last line of defense, and I will be glad I am wearing one if someone accidentally drops a wrench from above. 

So why switch to helmets when hardhats seem to be doing the job? 

I believe the new construction helmets offer two distinct advantages. One is simply that they are built better. They are a modern version of a piece of construction equipment that hasn&#;t changed in decades. I like to compare it to football helmets or the helmets soldiers wear. Look at what they were wearing 40 years ago, and it looks substantially different today. Ours look the same. 

Once again, we really don&#;t like change in construction. 

Other groups that have always used some form of head protection have matured and evolved, and this brings me to the second advantage of the new helmets. They identified additional mechanisms for head injuries and began designing helmets that would provide protection from things that their old helmets would not. This is where we are in the construction industry. 

In construction we have people that suffer from more than just the occasional dropped tool from above. We bump our heads all the time (I know I am not alone on this), and not always directly on the top of our heads where we get protection from the hardhat. Our hardhats frequently fall off (wind, bending over, etc). And we have frequent falls. Falls from ladders and simple slip and fall incidents where one of the main injuries is hitting our head. 

That last one is a big one, and hardhats do very little to protect us from these types of head injuries. Yes, I can add a chin strap to a hard hat, but all that does is keep that hardhat on. That hardhat is not necessarily designed to provide any protection during a fall where our head hits the ground or a wall. Many of the new helmets are designed to do exactly that. In fact the current ANSI standard for hard hats doesn&#;t even really address this mode of protection. Yes, Type II hardhats are designed to protect against side impact, but that&#;s an impact from something hitting you in the head from an angle instead of from directly overhead. It is not the same as hitting your head during a fall. It&#;s why many helmet manufacturers test and certify their helmets to EU standards for helmets meant to protect climbers during a fall.

The Bottom Line

Head protection is critical for everyone on a construction site. It is a last line of defense, like all PPE, but when its needed it is a critical component in making sure we go home uninsured at the end of the day. I also believe that wearing personal PPE is a reminder to everyone to work safe, and that&#;s always important. Construction Helmets represent the future. Yes, they look different. Yes, the chinstrap is a bit annoying. Yes, they protect us from a broader range of potential injuries than our old hardhats. 

What&#;s your opinion on hardhats versus helmets? Have you switched, or is your company considering making the move? Let me know in the comments section below, and please share this with others that might be interested or have an opinion on this topic. 

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