How to choose your next full brim hard hat

September 11, 2024
By HexArmor, for the Blue Print

Full brim hard hats have been around for a long time and are the most traditional type of head protection. Because of this, the helmet category is constantly evolving, creating a breadth of options and information that simply didn’t exist ten years ago.

These days, you can choose from basic to super-premium and everything in between. With so many styles and innovations, it can be challenging to choose the hard hat or safety helmet that’s right for you. So how do you choose?

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​To help narrow down your options, here are the top three things to pay attention to when looking for a new full brim helmet:

1. Site requirements
2. Comfort and fit
3. Accessory compatibility

 
Now let’s dive into each point below.
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Site requirements

Site requirements are the number one factor to help you choose the type and style of head protection that is needed.

Hopefully you already have a safety helmet program that details the types of head protection needed per your specific occupation and applications, but if not – no sweat. There are several resources out there to help you build a comprehensive safety helmet program.

Plus, periodic evaluations of your head safety program help keep your safety parameters and practices up to date with current demand and compliance requirements – and now might be a good time to reassess.

Site requirements can look like:

• Safety helmet type: Do you need a Type I or Type II?
  • Type I head protection is the most commonly used and offers protection from blows to the top of the head.
  • Type II head protection offers protection from blows to the top and sides of the head.
• Safety helmet class: Do you need protection against electrical hazards? There are two main classes used, E and C, but three classes overall. Please note that non-vented helmets are not guaranteed to be Class E; in fact, they can be Class E, G, or C.
  • Class G – General helmet: Designed to reduce exposure to low voltage conductors, proof tested at 2200V.
  • Class E – Electrical helmet: Designed to reduce exposure to high voltage conductors, proof tested at 20,000V.
  • Class C – Conductive helmet: Not intended to provide protection against contact with electrical conductors.
• Chin strap: Does your worksite require chin straps to be worn?
  • Overall, it’s best to use hard hats with a chin strap if your helmet is at risk of falling off on the worksite. This keeps the protective gear firmly in place, for example, during a slip, trip, or working at height, thus reducing the chance of a severe head injury.
• If a chin strap is desired/required, here are some follow-up questions:
  • Is your current helmet compatible with the manufacturer's chin strap?
  • Can you purchase a chin strap that is “sold separately”?
  • Do you need to find a new helmet that comes with a compatible chin strap?

Please note that for an appropriate helmet to be selected for workers, safety professionals must make the best-informed decision possible in accordance with safety helmet standards.

Comfort and fit

Comfort and fit are two huge motivators when accepting a new type of head protection into a workers’ PPE lineup. Because proper comfort and fit are often subjective to each wearer, there are several factors a safety helmet can offer to achieve this.

At the end of the day, it’s important to trial the helmet that meets your site requirements and has the additional comfort and fit features you think will work best for you.

Factors that affect comfort + fit:

• Sitting height
  • This is a big one—different helmet brands and styles offer different sitting heights (the height from your head to the top of the inner helmet). A higher sitting height can feel wobbly and unstable, whereas a lower sitting height typically feels more balanced.
• Head strap material
  • Something not often thought about that makes a big difference is strap material. The two most used materials are nylon and polyester.
  • Both are known for their strength but have slight differences. Nylon is a synthetic polymer commonly used in strap suspension systems due to its durability and ability to withstand repeated use, whereas polyester is more widely known to provide flexibility and comfort for the wearer.
• Sweatband material
  • Sweatbands can be made from several types of materials, such as cotton, polyester, and nylon. Overall, you want something comfortable against the skin and effective at absorbing moisture. Opting for a sweatband made with softer material could be the difference between all-day comfort and frustration.
• Types of helmet vents
  • When wearing a hard hat with ventilation, pay attention to where the air vents are located on the shell. Most often, you will see ventilation on the sides.
  • Additionally, ventilation typically found in a Class C helmet is often wanted due to working in higher temperature environments – especially in the summer months.

​

Accessory compatibility

Finding and using the right helmet accessories has become a huge need over the last couple of years, especially if you like a full brim hard hat style.

If you need accessories on your jobsite or in your application, finding the right safety helmet that aligns with your accessory use is imperative, so here are some questions to help you narrow down your options.

As always, check site requirements to see what you need (or conduct a job site analysis).

Popular accessories you may need on the job:

• Hearing protection – Questions to think about:
  • What NRR level and type of hearing protection is needed?
  • Are earplugs or earmuffs preferred? Or another type?
  • Does the hearing protection device used need to be compatible with a safety helmet?
  • Have workers been fit-tested for their hearing protection?
• Face protection – Questions to think about:
  • What type of face protection is needed or preferred, i.e., safety eyewear or a face shield?
  • Does the face shield need to be compatible with a safety helmet? If so, depending on the brand of safety helmet, a face shield should be available within that same brand.
  • Does the quality of the face shield and/or tight-nesting capabilities matter? Depending on the nature of your application or industry, this one is subjective.
• Chin strap – These are becoming more and more mandatory on the job. If needed, questions to think about:
  • Is your helmet compatible with a chin strap?
  • Is a two-point or a four-point chin strap preferred?
  • Is the chin strap secure and comfortable for all-day wear? Much like the above, a chin strap shouldn’t cause irritation to the wearer.
• Lighting – Questions to think about:
  • What kind of lighting do you need for your job?
  • Do you prefer/need your light to be compatible with your safety helmet?
  • Do you need a side slot, front slot, or headband option?

Reach out to your Fastenal rep for more information!
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​Content originally from HexArmor. Reused here with permission.

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