A Brief History on Hard Hats

A Brief History on Hard Hats

Industrial hard hats protect the heads of workers from falls and from impacts by sharp or blunt objects. Typical users contain construction and warehouse workers and repairmen.

A hard hat's shell is designed to resist penetration by sharp objects and its suspension ideas of straps linked to a headband distributes the force of a localized blow over a broader area. The typical suspension ideas holds the shell at least 1.25 inches away from the wearer's head.

Safety hats of some sort go far back in history; but the early commercial ones such as those worn by miners merely protected against abrasions and cuts and were typically easy leather caps. The first productive head safety was developed for forces use, starting in ancient times. Pictures on first-rate Grecian porcelain and temple carvings on the Acropolis and other sacred sites explicate warriors wearing explicate plumed metal helmets designed to protect against sword blows. Medieval European knights often wore full metal headpieces that guarded against smashing, slashing, and stabbing. All these were worn over heavy leather and fabric liners that protected skulls from helmet abrasion and in case,granted further safety against injury.

By World War I easy domed steel helmets were designed to protect trench warfare fighters from wounds to their exposed heads. This idea was brought home to civilian use where it inspired the first commercial hard hats such as those used in post-Wwi shipyards and on the Golden Gate Bridge scheme where safety was made a priority and head safety were mandatory.

Various materials were utilized for commercial hard hats over the years, starting with stiffened leather, then steel, then aluminum, then fiberglass. Suspension systems were introduced early on to replace or supplement fabric liners, which greatly improved safety against concussion and skull fracture while increasing wearer comfort. By the 1950s thermoplastics were introduced in the manufacturing process, allowing easier molding for optimum shape and comfort, plus light weight and safety from electrical shock.

Modern hard hat shells are typically made of polyethylene or polycarbonate resin although such other materials as fiberglass, resin-impregnated textiles, or aluminum may still be used. Because of its strength, light weight, ease of molding, and non-conductivity, high-density polyethylene (Hdpe) is used in most head protection. Suspension systems for contemporary commercial hard hats consist of strips of nylon webbing and bands of Hdpe, nylon, or vinyl. Along with the suspension system, most Type Ii hats also use a foam liner.

By the late 1990s a turn in Ansi testing procedures led to improvement of head safety with ventilation holes for coolness without compromised safety. Decorations were added as an option to boost the morale of workers wearing head protection, who now could wear a favorite sports team's logo or a patriotic invent if they chose.

Accessories for head safety have become more sophisticated. Base accessories contain transparent face shields, sun visors, sound-muffling ear covers, rear-view mirrors, perspiration-absorbing cloth liners and even electronic accessories. Brow pad choices for increased wearer relax contain foam-backed vinyl, foam-backed cotton terry cloth, and sweat-absorbing specialty fibers.

Under 1997 American National Standards invent (Ansi) standards, Type I hats furnish specified levels of safety from impact and penetration to the top of the head; Type Hi hats also furnish specified levels of safety for impact and penetration to the side of the head. Three class designations indicate the degree to which a hard hat protects the wearer from electrical current. Ansi-compliant head safety must also meet flammability criteria.

In addition to meeting specifications, hard hats must be properly cared for to ensure continuing effectiveness; and even with permissible care and no damaging impacts, all hard hats should be substituted after five years use.

In the 21st century, the commercial hard hat has come a very long way from the easy leather caps worn by medieval miners and the massive metal helmets worn by knights; and the pace of revising has accelerated in new years. One can only dream what further changes the time to come may bring. 

Addition To Coolness