GUIDE

TO HARD HAT RE QUIREMENTS

B Y R ICHARD J. G OULD

Protective helmets should be worn in any work environment that presents a significant risk of head injury. There are
various types of hard hats that may reduce the impact from falling objects or protect against electrical shock. Check out PE
Facts to find out more about hard hat performance and safety!
The OSHA refers to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines for their standard of performance criteria,
referenced in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 29 is OSHA's guidelines for Occupational Head Protection
(1910.135). This document will discuss the ANSI guidelines along with the OSHA standard for occupational head protection.
OCCUPATIONAL HEAD PROTECTION
The standard states in 29 CFR 1910.135(a)(1) that, "Each affected employee shall wear protective helmets when working in
areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects." The standard also addresses situations in which
electrical hazards are present. 1910.135(a)(2) states, "Protective helmets designed to reduce electrical shock hazard shall
be worn by each such affected employee when near exposed electrical conductors which could contact the head."
The OSHA standard does not specify the occupations or applications where head protection is mandatory, but it does
address this topic under a non-mandatory appendix (Appendix B to Subpart INon-Mandatory Compliance Guidelines for
Hazard Assessment and Personal Protective Equipment Selection). Part (9) of the appendix states, "Some examples of
occupations for which head protection should be routinely considered are: carpenters, electricians, lineman, mechanics and
repairers, plumbers and pipe fitters, assemblers, packers, wrappers, sawyers, welders, laborers, freight handlers, timber
cutting and logging, stock handlers, and warehouse laborers." The appendix also describes various applications where head
protection should generally be worn.
1910.135 defines what constitutes a "protective helmet" by distinguishing between hard hats purchased before July 5,
1994, and hard hats purchased after this date. Protective helmets purchased before this date only had to meet the 1969
version of the ANSI standard (ANSI Z89.1-1969). Protective helmets purchased after this date now have to meet the
performance criteria of the ANSI Z89.1-1986, American National Standard for Personal ProtectionProtective Headwear
for Industrial Workers Requirements.
REQUIREMENTS OF ANSI Z89.1-1986
Before we go any further, it is important to understand the difference between hard hats and bump caps. Bump caps do
not abide by the ANSI guidelines and are not suitable for occupations or applications where an ANSI-compliant hard hat is
required by the OSHA.
The ANSI standard differentiates protective headwear into specific types and classes. It groups helmets into two categories,
Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 helmets have a full brim around the entire hat while Type 2 helmets have a short brim only in the
front. Type 2 hats are the dominant style in the field today. You will seldom find specific hard hat types in the compliance
guidelines for these products. However, understand that there is a choice available and which type of helmet you select
should depend on your specific application or work conditions.
ANSI recognizes three classes of electrical performance:
Class A Helmets are designed to decrease the impact of falling objects and to lessen the risk of being exposed to low-
voltage electrical conductors. Helmets are tested at 2200 volts of electrical charge in order to be certified.
Class B Helmets are also intended to decrease the impact of falling objects, but these helmets reduce the risk of coming
into contact with high-voltages electrical conductors. They are tested at 20,000 volts of electrical charge in order to receive
certification.
Class C Helmets also reduce the force of impact of falling objects, but do not protect against electrical contact.
Note : The voltages stated in Classes A and B are not indications of the voltage at which the helmets protect the wearer.
Protective headwear is also tested for resistance to impact and penetration from hits on the top of the head, water
absorption and flammability resistance. The standard describes the meticulous testing requirements in detail.
Any protective helmet that complies with the ANSI requirements must be marked with certification. The following
information must be stated inside the hat:

The manufacturer's name

The legend, "ANSI Z89.1-1986"
The class designation (A, B or C)

ANSI revised its Z89.1 protective head wear standard in 1997. Although the revision has not yet been incorporated into 29
CFR 1910.135, it contains some noteworthy changes. The revised standard removed the Type 1 and Type 2 brim design
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differentiation. Now Type I refers to hard hats that only provide protection from hits on top of the head and Type II
describes hard hats that protect from blows to the top as well as the side of the head.
This revised standard also changed the classifications of electrical performance. Z89.1(1997) recognizes the following
classes:
Class G (General) Helmets --This is equivalent to the old Class A. Class G hard hats are tested at 2200 volts.
Class E (Electrical) Helmets --This is equivalent to the old Class B. Class E protective helmets are tested at 20,000 volts.
Class C (Conductive) Helmets -- Class C did not change from the old standard. This class provides no electrical insulation.
The 1997 standard also requires helmets to hold user information. Compliant hard hats must include the date of
manufacture along with the manufacturer's name. The hard hat must also contain sizing instructions, guidelines for care
and service, as well as the ANSI legend and class description.
Contrary to popular belief, hard hats do not have a pre-determined service life. In both the 1986 and 1997 versions of the
ANSI standard, service life is discussed under the care and maintenance of the helmet. Those standards recommend
checking protective helmets for dents, cracks, or any other damage daily. If a hard hat fails this simple visual inspection, it
should be withdrawn from use until repaired.
In addition to damage from impact or rough treatment, ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be troublesome to plastic hard hats.
The helmet looking chalky rather than having a nice glossy finish is an indication of UV damage. The flaking of the shell
reveals even further damage. As soon as these signs of UV radiation degradation are seen, the hard hat should be replaced.
In 2003, ANSI once again revised the Z89.1-1997 standard. The changes were made according to national standards for
head protection that test and evaluate the performance of such equipment. Many requirements were removed that
involved hard hat components that did not increase user value, that limited design or limited performance.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Can decals be put on hard hats?
A. In most cases, yes. There is an extremely low risk for a chemical reaction between the hard hat shell and the pressure-
sensitive sticker/decal adhesive. Under normal conditions, stickers and decals wont negatively affect the performance of
the hard hat.
Generally, these two rules of thumb should be followed:
The decals should be placed at least three-fourths of an inch away from the edge of the hard hat. This eliminates the risk of
the decal acting as a conductor between the inside and outside of the helmet.
In order to easily inspect the hard hat for damages, the areas of the hard hat covered by stickers/decals should be kept to a
minimum.
Q. Is it safe to paint a hard hat?
A. ANSI Z89.1-2003 Appendix A4 states, when painting hard hat shells, caution should be used because some paints and
thinners may damage or degrade the shell decreasing the level of protection. Before painting, consult the hard hat
manufacturer.
Q. Can hard hats be worn backward?
A. Generally, no. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a standard interpretation and
compliance letter dated July 22, 1992 that states:
"Because ANSI only tests and certifies hard hats to be worn with the bill foreword, hard hats worn with the bill to the
rear would not be considered reliable protection and would not meet the requirement of 29 CFR 1926.100 (a) and
(b) unless the hard hat manufacturer certifies that this practice meets the ANSI requirements."

Before wearing your hard hat backward, you should obtain written verification and directions from the manufacturer on
whether or not your hard hat model has been tested and found to be compliant with safety standards when worn
backward.
Q. Do hard hats expire, or have a shelf life?
A. Yes, but it is not always universal.
Example: Petzls statement in their instructions for their equipment is as follows:
The maximum life of Petzl products is as follows: up to 10 years from the date of manufacture for plastic or textile
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products. It is indefinite for metallic products.

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Petzl ID S Users Manual, Pg 7, Section 14

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February 21, 2014

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.135, Occupational Head Protection Standard
Please Note: The information contained in this publication is intended for general information purposes only. This
publication is not a substitute for review of the applicable government regulations and standards, and should not be
construed as regulatory or legal advice. Readers with specific questions should refer to cited regulations or consult with an
attorney.
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ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2009
National Standard for U.S.
This standard developed requirements for industrial head protection relating to:
1.
2.
3.

Impact Protection;
Penetration Protection; and
Electrical Insulation Protection.

This fifth revision of the standard provides performance and testing requirements for industrial helmets, commonly known
as hard hats, and is a revision of ANSI Z89.1-1997, which established the types and classes of protective helmets, depending
on the type of hazard encountered. The 1997 version included specifications for helmets designed to offer protection from
lateral impact, or top-only impact, giving employers and users the flexibility to specify the helmet that best meets the needs
of their specific workplace. Industrial head protective helmets meeting the requirements of the 2003 standard are classified
as Type I for top protection or Type II for top and lateral impact protection. Both types are tested for impact attenuation and
penetration resistance. Type II helmet performance requirements include criteria for impact energy attenuation from
impacts from the front, back and sides, as well as the top, off-center penetration resistance and chin strap retention. The
three classes indicate the helmets electrical insulation rating, and is unchanged from 1997.
Helmets EN 397:2012 2
European Standard
EN 397:2012 certifies that safety helmets are designed to offer protection from lateral impact or top impact. It supersedes
EN 397:1995. This European Standard specifies physical and performance requirements, methods of test, and marking
requirements for industrial safety helmets. The mandatory requirements of BS EN 397 apply to helmets for general use in
industry in the European Union as mandated by 89/686/EEC for personal protective equipment. Additional optional
performance requirements are included to apply only where specifically claimed by the helmet manufacturer. Industrial
safety helmets (also known as headgear) are intended primarily to provide protection to the wearer against falling objects
to avoid brain injury and skull fracture. EN 397:2012 is written by Technical Committee CEN/TC 158 on "Head protection".
Countries in Europe are expected to adopt it as a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by
endorsement.
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CAN/CSA Z94.1-2005
National Standard for Canada
This is the fifth edition of CSA Z94.1, Industrial Protective Headwear - Performance, selection, care and use. It supersedes
the previous editions published in 1992, 1977 and 1966 under the title Industrial Protective Headwear. It also supersedes
the Preliminary Standard, published in 1965, and replaces the protective headwear requirements specified in CSA Z94-1948,
Code for Head and Eye Protection.
Richard J. Gould is an instructor at a Wind Energy Technician school in Southern California, teaching electrical theory, electrical metering safety, and
electrical troubleshooting (amongst other subjects). He is retired from the US Navy after 21 years as an Electronics Technician and an Aircraft
Electrician. He has a Bachelors Degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Professional Aeronautics with a minor in Aviation Safety, and is
working towards a Masters degree in Aeronautical Science with Specialties in Aeronautics and Management.
Article Updated: February 21, 2014

http://www.bullard.com/V3/products/head_face/head_protection/Standards/
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February 21, 2014