If you frequently work at height, then you will understand the undeniable importance of wearing a hard hat. Due to the high-risk activity involved in construction work, accidents can happen when you least expect it. To keep yourself and the people around you safe, you do need to wear a hard hat when working at height as a precautionary measure.
Is a Hard Hat a Compulsory Legal Requirement?
Yes, a hard hat is required by law when working at height. According to the Health and Safety Executive, if the work involved poses a risk of injury to the head then a hard hat is compulsory.
When working at height, there is a higher chance of someone falling and injuring themselves due to the force of impact. There are very few, if any, scenarios where there would be no risk of injury to the head when working at height.
Regardless of whether you are working from height or not, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that all workers are provided with, and wear, suitable head protection to comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992.
Why Are Hard Hats Important?
The bottom line is - hard hats are important because they save lives and heavily minimise the risk of injury when working at height.
In construction environments, head injuries are extremely likely from multiple sources such as falling objects and unprotected blunt ends of equipment. Hard hats also have enhanced features for your protection, including chin-guards and chemical/heat resistance for working in high-risk environments.
What Hard Hat Do I Need?
The Different Types of Hard Hat
In 2017, Build UK implemented a specific hard hat colour system to eliminate confusion amongst workers in construction environments. With the following hard hat colour system, identifying individuals according to their role and safety qualifications is much easier.
- Black - site supervisors
- White - site managers, competent operatives and vehicle marshals
- Orange - slingers and signallers
- Blue - apprentices, visitors, and those who should not be left unsupervised
- Green - first aider
- Red - fire marshal
What counts as 'suitable' head protection?
For your hard hat to count as 'suitable' head protection, it should:
- Be in good condition with no damage. If your hard hat is damaged, throw it away!
- Fit the person wearing it
- Be worn properly
- Not stop the person from wearing hearing protectors (if needed)
- Only be bought from a reputable supplier (be wary of fake hard hats!)
Browse Our Hard Hats Today
If you need a suitable hard hat for working at height, take a look at our safety helmet selection. For any questions or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01446 788 978.
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