According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), a hard hat must be worn “when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects.” In addition, a hard hat must also be worn in working areas where there is the risk of exposure to electrical conductors that can potentially contact the head. In these types of environments, specially designed protective helmets are required in order to counteract the dangers of electrical shock hazards. Hard hats that are considered to be “OSHA approved” meet the minimum criteria established by the American National Standards (ANSI) and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), in accordance with the most current ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 (R2019) standard.
The company is the world’s best bulk hard hats supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
If a hard hat is necessary the next step is selecting the most appropriate hard hat for your work environment. ANSI divided protective helmets into different types and classes. A hard hat type indicates the designated level of impact protection, while a hard hat class indicates the degree of electrical performance. The sections that follow explain the various types and classes of hard hats in further detail.
Hard hat impact protection is divided into two categories: Type I and Type II.
Type I Hard Hats are intended to reduce the force of impact resulting from a blow only to the top of the head. This form of impact, for example, may result from a hammer or nail gun falling from above. Cooper Safety’s best-selling Type I hard hat is the MSA V-Gard Hard Hat.
Shop All Type I Hard Hats
Type II Hard Hats are intended to reduce the force of lateral impact resulting from a blow which may be received off-center, from the side, or to the top of the head. This form of impact, for example, may result from contact with the sharp corner of a side beam. Type II hard hats, such as the MSA Super V® Hard Hat , are lined on the inside with a thick high density foam and suspension.
Shop All Type II Hard Hats
According to ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 (R2019) and Canadian CSA Z94.1-2005 standards, hard hat electrical performance is divided into three categories: Class E, Electrical; Class G, General, and; Class C, Conductive.
Class E (Electrical) Hard Hats are designed to reduce exposure to high voltage conductors, and offer dielectric protection up to 20,000 volts (phase to ground). This amount of voltage protection, however, is designated to the head only, and is not an indication of voltage protection allocated to the user as a whole. The MSA Topgard® Hard Hat is an example of a hard hat used by utility workers who are commonly exposed to high voltage environments on a daily basis. Formerly associated with a "Class B" rating, Class E hard hats may also be considered to have a Class G (General) rating, as their increased level of voltage protection surpasses the (lower) required standards of the Glass G testing procedure.
Shop All Class E Hard Hats
Class G (General) Hard Hats are designed to reduce exposure to low voltage conductors, and offer dielectric protection up to 2,200 volts (phase to ground). As is the case with Class E hard hats, this amount of voltage protection is designated to the head only, and does not account for voltage protection allocated to the user as a whole. The MSA Skullgard Hard Hat is an example of a Class G hard hat commonly worn by iron workers who require a certain degree of dielectric protection. Formerly categorized as "Class A," the Class G hard hat is the most commonly sold hard hat style by Cooper Safety Supply.
Shop All Class G Hard Hats
Class C (Conductive) Hard Hats differ from their counterparts in that they are not intended to provide protection against contact with electrical conductors. On the contrary, Class C hard hats may include vented options, such as the MSA V-Gard 500 Hard Hat , which not only protect the wearer from impact, but also provide increased breathability through their conductive material (such as aluminum) or added ventilation.
Shop All Class C Hard Hats
It is important to know that all hard hats that adhere to ANSI/ISEA standards contain a label of certification on the inside of the hard hat shell. This label identifies the type and class standards the hard hat was designed to meet. If your current hard hat label is missing or is no longer legible, it is recommended that you replace your hard hat as soon as possible. The image below is an example of a hard hat ANSI/ISEA label of certification, and how the label indicates the applicable type, class, and ANSI standards met.
For a listing of frequently asked hard hat questions, please view our Hard Hat FAQ page. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call customer service department at 1-800-724-2596.
Sources:
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.135,
For more information, please visit traffic cone manufacture.
Occupational Head Protection Standard
Hard hats are some of the most common pieces of personal protection equipment found in places such as construction sites, manufacturing facilities, and mining operations. OSHA has several rules when it comes to using hard hats, they must be worn when:
Those are all very different hazardous situations requiring several different classes of hard hats to choose from. Each one is specifically designed to provide protection against certain types of hazards. Hard hat classes are largely determined by ANSI’s Z89.1-2014 standard.
This PPE is absolutely required for when employees face hazardous conditions that present a danger to their head and face area. Both safety managers and employees need to understand the importance of hard hats and how to choose the right ones for each situation. With that being said, this article is here to help you learn about the differences in hard hat classes.
Most OSHA approved hard hats, that also comply with ANSI Z89.1, are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Take a look inside a hard hat and you’ll notice what are commonly referred to as suspensions. There are a handful of load bearing points on the suspension mechanism that prevent the hard hat itself from resting on the employee’s head, providing an excellent barrier against blunt impact.
Aside from that similarity, hard hat characteristics start to deviate in terms of protection. The first way hard hats are broken up into different categories is based on the type of hard hat.
Type I hard hats are designed specifically to provide protection from falling objects. This type of head protection is commonly used at construction sites and other areas where work is done high above the ground. This is because high elevation work comes with an increased likelihood of falling objects causing injury, which is why type 1 hard hats are a necessity in these types of environments.
Type II hard hats provide protection from falling objects, but they also offer protection from lateral impact. This could be from running into the corner of a steel beam, having a projectile fly across a room, or any other risk to the sides or back of the head.
In addition to the type categories of hard hats, there are also several classes of hard hats. The classes determine what types of hazards hard hats will protect wearers from. Having the right class of hard hat can mean the difference between life and death in many situations, so having the right option is essential.
Class G hard hats are general use hard hats and are the most commonly found hard hats available. They do provide some protection against electricity, but only up to 2200 volts. The primary use for this class of hard hat is to protect against impact hazards.
Class E hard hats are approved for use in areas where exposure to electrical hazards is a possibility. To qualify as a class E electrical hard hat, one must provide the wearer with dielectric protection of as much as 20,000 volts.
Class C hard hats are not intended to provide any protection against electrical hazards. Instead, conductive hard hats are designed just to protect from impact hazards. In most cases, a class C hard hat will have built-in vents to help keep the wearer cool, which is why they are commonly found in hot factories or construction yards.
The seventh revision of the ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 that companies must follow for OSHA compliance was changed in the following ways:
The standard also lists the need to label the inside of hard hats with the following information:
If optional performance features are applicable to that particular hard hat, it must show the following marking(s):
Picking the right hard OSHA certified hard hat also comes with some rules:
These OSHA regulations can be found in CFR 29 1910.135, which lists ANSI’s Z89.1 standard as one that has been incorporated by reference. Look deeper into these regulations to gain a full understanding of what is required of you as the employer or employee when it comes to head protection. Picking the right head protection is critical for injury prevention.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website safety works headphones.