Contractors who emphasize workplace safety and equip employees with PPE, such as construction hard hats, can expect fewer injuries and lower insurance premiums.

If your organization requires new and improved head safety products, the following information can help you make an informed decision about hard hat types, classification, and how to wear them properly on the job.

How Do Hard Hats Work?

A construction hard hat provides enhanced protection for those working on the ground or at heights. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more than 2,200 construction workers died because of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) over a 7-year period.

Nearly 6% of non-fatal workplace injuries involve a blow to the head. Falling objects such as tools, materials, and debris pose a significant risk for bothemployees and job site visitors.

A construction hard hat insulates the skull from hard impacts in the following ways:

  • Impact Dispersal: Hard hats take the energy that might otherwise strike the head and spread it out over the shell. Dispersion takes what would be a centralized blunt force to the head and decreases its impact.
  • Absorbs Force: The underlying suspension system inside a construction hard hat is designed to further absorb the force of a hard impact. Much like the cushioning inside a football helmet, the specialized desing of a hard hat minimizes the effect of falling objects.
  • Eliminates Fractures & TBA: A falling hammer or brick is unlikely to cause a skull fracture in someone wearing a construction hard hat. The rounded design helps deflect the force, and the internal suspension absorbs the hit.

A full brim hard hat also provides added protection against injuries to the face and top of the spine. Extending outward, falling objects are typically deflected away from the body, reducing the force of the impact and decreasing chances of a fatality.

How to Wear a Hard Hat?

It’s not unusual for construction workers to simply slip a hard hat on like a baseball cap. But when any type of PPE is worn improperly, it cannot deliver maximum health and safety benefits.

For a construction hard hat to be effective, it must be inspected and appropriately fitted. These are steps to follow when putting on a construction hard hat.

  1. Check the shell for any cracks or damage.
  2. Check the suspension to ensure it is fully intact and functional.
  3. Loosen the suspension by adjusting the ratchet in the rear.
  4. Place the suspension over your head in a comfortable position.
  5. Place the chin strap in a comfortably secure location.
  6. Adjust the nape strap at the rear to trail down the back of your neck.
  7. Tighten the ratchet until the construction hard hat fits snugly.

It’s important to tighten the suspension to the point it is snug, but not overly tight. Workers will need to keep this PPE on their heads until breaks. When taking a coffee or lunch break, only take it off in a safe location. 

 

Types & Hard Hat Classifications

Many industries are required to follow OSHA hard hat guidelines to protect employees from workplace injuries. There are two basic types of hard hats — Type I and Type II.

Type I Hard Hats

This class of hard hats protects against hard impacts to the top of the head only. Type I helmets generally make sense as a light construction hard hat.

Type II Hard Hats

By contrast, Type II hard hats reduce the force of a hard impact on any area of the shell. Type II hard hats provide enhanced safety on job sites that could involve falling debris, tools, and materials, among others. 

Hard Hats for Electricians

Hard hat use is not necessarily restricted to construction sites that pose a falling object danger. Specialized PPE products are also used in professions that deal with electricity. These are three hard hat classifications typically utilized by people in the electrical trades.

Class C Hard Hats

Although a Class C hard hat does not necessarily protect against contact with electricity, it can be outfitted for this purpose. Venting options and other solutions are available to improve electrical safety.

Class G Hard Hats

The Class G rating stands for “general” and is typically used by electricians and utility personnel in low-voltage workplaces. This class of helmet offers protection up to 2,200 volts.

Class E Hard Hats

Engineered and manufactured to minimize exposure to high voltage, Class E hard hats provide protection up to 20,000 volts. This type of hard hat is typically worn by utility workers routinely exposed to significant amounts of electricity. This class of hard hat was once associated with Class G-rated products. However, Class E helmets provide increased electrocution protection.

How Long Are Hard Hats Good For?

Most hard hats have a life expectancy of 2 to 5 years, depending on type and use. If you're unsure whether a construction hard hat has ceased to be effective, manufacturers must place a label inside each product.


The number in the center of the label indicates the year it was made. Do the math on whether it has timed out by year. You will also see an arrow between the numbers in the center. This points to the month the hard hat was produced.


Construction hard hats used daily are typically replaced every two years. Those that see infrequent use may be viable for up to five years.

 

What’s the Difference Between a Hard Hat and a Construction Helmet?

Both hard hats and construction safety helmets must meet or exceed the performance specification established by the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) Standard for Industrial Head Protection (ANSI/ISEA Z89.1). That means employers have some leeway in deciding which are best suited to protect workers in a given trade and environment. 

 

Hard hats are typically manufactured with materials such as carbon fiber, plastic, fiberglass, and resins. The relatively lightweight shell is elevated from the skull, and a strap runs under the chin to keep PPE in place.

 

Safety helmets evolved from the designs and technology being used in today’s rock climbing headgear. Climbing safety helmets are made with expanded polystyrene or expanded polypropylene, over a foam shell. They are also coated with polycarbonate plastic.

 

The construction helmet is almost indistinguishable from mountaineering PPE. They are specifically designed to make high-velocity contact. Although a safety helmet does not necessarily have a short frontal bill, it sits lower on the crown and sides of the skull.

 

Applications of Safety Helmets

Mountaineering and construction safety helmets generally provide more skull protection. That’s largely because they are designed to protect rock climbers from slamming into a cliff face and falling rocks. This class of PPE comes with particularly secure chin straps and a head harness that keeps the shell taut to the skull.

 

By contrast, not every hard hat has straps, and those that do are not nearly as robust as those found on a safety helmet. But a case for hard hats can be made based on the fact that they tend to be lighter. Construction workers must wear them 8-plus hours a day, 7 days a week, in sometimes grueling heat. To overcome that negative, new safety helmet designs are being implemented, including venting systems. 

 

Safety Helmet vs Hard Hat 

Both a hard hat and safety helmet can be crafted to fall into the same classification groups. Type I hard hats are designed to impact the top of the head, while Type II also protects the sides, front and rear, consistent with climbing safety helmets. Class C is for electrical hazards, and OSHA considers Class G appropriate for general use. 

 

Hard hats that meet the minimum ANSI standards can be as light as 13 ounces and offer airflow between the head and shell. Safety helmets generally weigh more than 16 ounces, and their snug, foam-insulated design proves hotter and sweatier. 

 

The safety administration favors safety helmets for “Specialized Work Environments” that require people to wear accessories such as face shields, goggles, ear protection, and communication devices. 

 

While both types of PPE meet the minimum standards for head protection, there are cost differences. Hard hats can run as low as $10 or more than $150. Safety helmets generally cost more, starting around $30, with most costing over $100. 

 

Maintain an Inventory of Head Protection

It’s crucial for contractors and other company leaders to maintain a complete inventory of safety helmets and/or hard hats for construction, electrical, and other workers. Each product must meet regulatory standards, be worn properly, and not exceed product effectiveness dates.


The right construction hard hat can prevent skull fractures and TBAs that may prove fatal. Companies that follow OSHA mandates may also experience lower insurance costs.

If you're interested in learning more about job site safety, check out this Ultimate Guide to Fall Protection & Prevention!