QHSE Concerns: Is your Head Covered or decorated?

Many times a face cap, Women Hat, Hard Hat/Helmet is worn by different people for different reasons. You know, face caps could be a fancy touch to our dress up but in the Industrial World, a Hard Hat/Helmet is not in that category. However, you may be wearing a Hard Hat that's just a decoration rather than a protection. Since the industrial revolution, it has been agreed that Personal Protective Equipment are crucial for safety of personnel. That said, PPEs do not prevent accidents but only reduce the effect of damage or injury should it occur. PPEs are referred to as last line of defense.

Now, I want to share with you a learning point I received from others as well on the expiration of Hard Hats. You may have won a hard hat not knowing that its expired or deteriorated and should be replaced but you were ignorantly feeling protected. Remember we do not advance into a dangerous situation thinking that the PPE worn would protect you, it only ameliorates the danger.

Just before we latch on to the question for today, lemme remind you that at IGNITE Network we connect learn and share online, using social media interactive groups like WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook groups etc to develop competence, hand out valuable notes and boost our proficiency as we grow on all areas of life.

Hard Hats do expire and need to be replaced. Hard Hats for example need to also be cared for and also inspected as a minimum good practise.

An expiration date is a safeguard for you as a worker. Ideally your hard hat will be required to be replaced before it’s worn out in order to provide you with maximum protection at all times. If you work in the sun long hours or in extremely hostile environments with chemicals or high temperature, you may need to replace your hat after two years of use. Most manufacturers recommend replacement of the suspension inside the hat every 12 months. Proper maintenance of your hat ensures a longer life. Clean it with soapy water. Cleaning products may contain ingredients that could have an unfavorable reaction with your helmet, compromising its integrity before its expected expiration date. Don’t intentionally do anything that can shorten the lifespan of your hat, such as paint it. This essential piece of safety equipment must be kept in top condition.

Here's a few tips I gleaned that may help

• Hard hats should not be in service for longer than four to five years depending on manufacturer guidelines.  Using a permanent marker to write the first date of use inside the hard hat can help you track this. ANSI statute Z89.1-2009 requires particular information to be permanently printed inside each hard hat, including the date of manufacture.

• Check the date of manufacture on the inside of your hard hat if you did not write a date on your hard hat when you started using it. Based on the manufacturer’s guidelines, you can determine whether the hat has expired.

• Proper care of your hard hat includes washing it with a mild detergent and water and inspecting it for damage on a regular basis.

• Inspect the shell for signs of damage such as dents, gouges, scrapes, holes or cracks.  Other signs of aging include a shell that is fading or chalky looking or a suspension with signs of wear such as fraying, cuts or tears and dirt.

• The suspension on the inside should be replaced every twelve months.  Replace with a product from the same manufacturer.

• You should never paint your hard hat and there are guidelines to follow if you apply any stickers.

• If you drop your hard hat or something hits it, it may no longer be safe to use.

• Storing your hard hat on a dash board or in the back window of your car causes the same sun damage as wearing your hard hat outside and decreases its useful life.

Hard hats are an essential piece of personal protective equipment.  Keep yours top condition