Hard Hat Types

Posted by on January 12, 2012

Construction sites today now require the use of hard hat for all workers regardless of position. These seemingly simple hats are quite valuable and have an extensive history in the safety industry. Hard hats protect workers from the hazards that can be associated with falling debris. Although commonplace now, they were not so easy to find 100 years ago and did not offer the protection to workers that they do today.

“Hard-Boiled Hat”

Rumor has it that Franz Kafka during his time at the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute came up with the ingenious hard hat. However, this has been widely discredited and unverified. But, in the United States, a company in California was paving the way for the introduction of the hard hat. The E.D. Bullard Company created the “Hard-Boiled Hat” which is known as the first non military hard hat.

1919

Although the concept of a hard hat was not completely nonexistent they were mostly featured in military combat. The Bullard Company did use leather protective hats on their sites to protect workers. That all changed when E.W. Bullard returned home from World War I with his steel helmet. After his arrival home in 1919 the company soon patented the “Hard-Boiled Hat”. Different from its leather prototype this hat featured steamed canvas, black paint, and glue.

Military Inspiration

Shortly after the Hard Boiled Hat the military M1917 “Brodie” helmet inspired a new design. After seeing the Hard Boiled Hat that Bullard had created, the United States navy hired Bullard to design a shipyard protective hat to safeguard the workers from falling debris. From there, Bullard came up with an internal suspension mechanism that had advanced safety features.

Hard Hat Laws

Although the hard hat industry was constantly creating safer and more effective hats, the safety gear still weren’t a requirement on the job site. In 1933 the Golden Gate Bridge construction site mandated that all workers wear hard hats, only the second ever in the country to mandate such an order. The first project was the Hoover Dam in 1931. Now with more sites requiring safeguards, Bullard was working on creating a hard hat that also protected those who worked with sandblasting. The hard hat featured a window with a view and allowed for a hose for air from an air compressor.

Materials

Since 1933 the hard hat has gone through mass renovations, aluminum eventually became the main component, minus those conducting electrical maintenance. In the 1940’s fiberglass was introduced, only to last about 10 years. Thermoplastics lead the way in the 1950’s and is still featured in many hard hates today, as most are made of high density polyethylene, also known as HDPE.

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