# Hard Hats



## gafftapegreenia (Oct 1, 2009)

How long do you think it will be before our industry as a whole is mandated to wear hard hats? I know many venues require hard hats/bump caps out of either necessity or insurance issues, however, it's by no means universal. Personally I won't be surprised that if in the next five years we see serious talk about mandating hardhats.


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## erosing (Oct 1, 2009)

I wouldn't be surprised, I know I've hit my head a number of times or had something hit it. Wound up int the hospital a few times because of it, nothing major thankfully, just concussions. I started wearing caps to give a little cushion if it happens, but hard hats, all day, everyday, i'd be more settled on the idea if they came with flashlight mounts, or built in head lamps and a flip down visor.


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## Van (Oct 1, 2009)

Honestly I've often wondered why is hasn't been mandated yet. Perhaps the low incidence of head trauma injuries that would have been alleviated by the use of a hard hat keeps the insurance industry from requiring them for us? I've had to wear hard hats in certain jobs I've held in the past, namely as an Installer for Stagecraft Industries, where I had to conform with all the job-site safety requirements that a "regular" Carp / Steel Worker might have to. It was very difficult to get used to, very uncomfortable. It did, however save my butt, or head, on a couple of occasions. Let me tell you there is nothing like being 60' in the air on a giant scissor lift, only to turn around real quick and smack you head on a loft block, or piece of structural steel. I would guess the biggest reason for "us" not having to wear them would be the "finished-ness" of our work, that is, we work in an area supposedly ready for people to walk around in. I can see OSHA requiring Hardhats, especially for Riggers and/ or carps doing load-ins of concerts where there is a lot of gear hanging at head banging height, but honestly , if someone drops a hammer from 80' up even a good hard hat isn't going to keep you from Major Trauma.


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## coldnorth57 (Oct 1, 2009)

Hmmmmm anyother workplace I have worked at with that much stuff hanging overhead you would be wearing a hardhat ....so don't tell Worker Comp about this or the actors will have to wear them


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## Sean (Oct 1, 2009)

Arez said:


> I wouldn't be surprised, I know I've hit my head a number of times or had something hit it. Wound up int the hospital a few times because of it, nothing major thankfully, just concussions. I started wearing caps to give a little cushion if it happens, but hard hats, all day, everyday, i'd be more settled on the idea if they came with flashlight mounts, or built in head lamps and a flip down visor.




Well...

You've ended up in the hospital, but are still skeptical about them?

You can get flashlight mounts/headlamps for hardhats.

--Sean


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## mstaylor (Oct 1, 2009)

In the concert business, if they made you wear hardhats, the riggers would be exempt because the is no drop hazard above them. Feld makes all of their guys have hard hats and many times they wear them in my building because of the drop ceiling. When we rig, we have to pull tiles from above and on occasion they will break and get away from the rigger. A spinning ceiling tile from fifty feet is not pretty.


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## Footer (Oct 1, 2009)

Cirque also requires it of all of their people during any in/out. They don't require it of the local crew. They all wear petzl climbing helmets. 

I have worked a few places that did out on the in/out. It depended on the show though if we actually did it or not. 

I have worked an oil refinery that not only required hard hats, but you had to be clean shaven, no jewelry including piercings, safety glasses, ear protection, fire retardant coveralls, and metatarsals. Keep in mind that even if it was 100 degrees out... you still had to wear this. We had guys up in bucket trucks for hours at a time working in this gear. Now, that is uncomfortable... so.... it could be worse.


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## erosing (Oct 2, 2009)

Sean said:


> Well...
> 
> You've ended up in the hospital, but are still skeptical about them?
> 
> ...



Yes and no, I had to wear one a few times but, it was more of a, "here's a hard hat, we're not going to say anything if you don't wear it, but if your head gets hit and you're not wearing it, don't blame us," situation. I wore them but it was more cumbersome than helpful to be honest (yanked on my hair way too much). Good to know they make flashlight/headlamp mounts for them though. Now if I bought a custom fit one, I would probably wear it, with the hope that it of course fit better then an off the shelf one.


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## mstaylor (Oct 2, 2009)

I have worked in commercial construction over the years and had to wear hard hats many times. I could wear them for hours on end and it never bothered me. What did bother me was I hit my head more often because it sits obove your head quite a bit and you will forget it is there and bang. It has caused neck problems to a small extent.


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## museav (Oct 2, 2009)

Since I'm often in theatres during construction or renovation, wearing a hard hat is typically required. On some sites so are work boots and rated eye protection. I do agree that you tend to forget about the extra height and hit your head more with them and the one time I did almost get hit by a wrench falling from overhead I was just walking through the room and did not have my hard hat on.

Every hard hat I've used is adjustable and you can get a variety of styles, suspensions, colors or semi-custom graphics. Even this, Product Details and this, Product Details.


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## Van (Oct 2, 2009)

museav said:


> ..........
> Every hard hat I've used is adjustable and you can get a variety of styles, suspensions, colors or semi-custom graphics. Even this, Product Details and this, Product Details.


 
the first one is dorky, IMHO. The second one? Well you cant's turn it around and where it so the bill sticks out the back, How will the regular guys know you're not a Super ?


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## jwl868 (Oct 2, 2009)

gafftapegreenia said:


> How long do you think it will be before our industry as a whole is mandated to wear hard hats? ......



The head protection requirement already exists in OSHA. Granted, the employer assesses the workplace (per 29 CFR 1910.132 (d), below), but nothing prevents an employee from taking his own initiative for safety. 

(Excerpts from OSHA regs follow.)

29 CFR PART 1910—OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS 
Subpart I—Personal Protective Equipment
1910.132 General requirements 

(a) Application. Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.

(b) Employee-owned equipment. Where employees provide their own protective equipment, the employer shall be responsible to assure its adequacy, including proper maintenance, and sanitation of such equipment.

(c) Design. All personal protective equipment shall be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed.

(d) Hazard assessment and equipment selection. (1) The employer shall assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer shall:

(i) Select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment;
(ii) Communicate selection decisions to each affected employee; and,
(iii) Select PPE that properly fits each affected employee.
Note: Non-mandatory Appendix B contains an example of procedures that would comply with the requirement for a hazard assessment.

[See regulation for additional information.]


1910.135 Head protection.
Link to an amendment published at 74 FR 46356, Sept. 9, 2009.
(a) General requirements. (1) The employer shall ensure that each affected employee wears a protective helmet when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects.
(2) The employer shall ensure that a protective helmet designed to reduce electrical shock hazard is worn by each such affected employee when near exposed electrical conductors which could contact the head.

[See regulation for additional information.]


Appendix B to Subpart I to Part 1910—Non-mandatory Compliance Guidelines for Hazard Assessment and Personal Protective Equipment Selection
[excerpt]
9. Selection guidelines for head protection. All head protection (helmets) is designed to provide protection from impact and penetration hazards caused by falling objects. Head protection is also available which provides protection from electric shock and burn. When selecting head protection, knowledge of potential electrical hazards is important. Class A helmets, in addition to impact and penetration resistance, provide electrical protection from low-voltage conductors (they are proof tested to 2,200 volts). Class B helmets, in addition to impact and penetration resistance, provide electrical protection from high-voltage conductors (they are proof tested to 20,000 volts). Class C helmets provide impact and penetration resistance (they are usually made of aluminum which conducts electricity), and should not be used around electrical hazards.

Where falling object hazards are present, helmets must be worn. Some examples include: working below other workers who are using tools and materials which could fall; working around or under conveyor belts which are carrying parts or materials; working below machinery or processes which might cause material or objects to fall; and working on exposed energized conductors.

Some examples of occupations for which head protection should be routinely considered are: carpenters, electricians, linemen, mechanics and repairers, plumbers and pipe fitters, assemblers, packers, wrappers, sawyers, welders, laborers, freight handlers, timber cutting and logging, stock handlers, and warehouse laborers.

[See regulation for additional information.]

Joe


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