Hard Hat History
Another name for a safety helmet that is used to protect the wearer’s head from injury due to falling objects or obstacles is a hard hat. They are worn in places like mines, construction sites and by road maintenance crews. The first civilian hard hat is rumored to have been designed by Franz Kafka (1883-1924), the German author. He worked for the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute. The first safety helmet to be patented was constructed from glue and steamed canvas. It was painted black.
Hard Hats Emerge
The first two construction sites where workers had to wear safety helmets were the Hoover Dam project in 1931 and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in Northern California in 1933. Today, all construction workers and site visitors are required to wear protection.
Leather
ED Bullard designed the earliest safety helmets. His first efforts were made of leather in 1898. Aluminum was the material of choice by the late 1930s,apart from electrical use. By the 1940s, fiberglass was mostly used. From the 1950s, thermoplastics came to dominate because they could be molded cheaply and easily by the use of applied heat. Modern safety helmets are constructed of either high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or advanced engineering resins, including polyetherimide (PEI).
Physics of Hard Hats
Modern safety helmets have a built-in suspension system that incorporates a cushion of air between the wearer’s head and the top of the helmet. The suspension spreads the weight of the hat over the entire surface of the head and the cushion of air provides additional protection against impact with hard surfaces or falling objects. Cap-style helmets, with a baseball-style peak, have a rim around the edge that directs water towards the front of the cap and not down the back of the wearer’s neck.
Protection
Different styles of hat provide different types of comfort and protection. And, with so many different colors to choose from, the safety helmet doubles as a fashion statement. The smooth dome slotted cap, for example, protects the wearer from small falling objects like bits of plaster from a ceiling. It is also suitable for working around electricity because of its dielectric properties.
Popular
One of the most popular styles has v-shaped ridges at the top. They come with three or four different suspension systems and an array of colors. This model comes in children’s and women’s sizes, although there are fewer colors from which to choose. As well as the cap-style, there are models whose rim wraps around the entire circumference of the hat. This rim catches falling objects as well as snow and it keeps the sunlight out of the wearer’s eyes. A glow-in-the-dark model is useful for working in conditions of darkness. There are even hard cowboy hats, for the wrangler who wants to protect his head while he is riding the wild prairie.
Safety Precautions
There are a number of different types of attachment that can be fitted to safety helmets. Jackhammer operators often attach ear protection, while welders use a safety visor to keep sparks out of their eyes. Face shields are often used to protect the face from being hit by object in the front of the head, as well as the back. Cameras, radios and pagers may also be attached to help the wearer communicate with the outside world.
wranglers
