It is a well-known fact that people who work in areas and sites (mostly industrial) where physical work-related injuries may occur, should wear protective head gear, specifically hard hats. This is because unwanted head injuries can be downright dangerous (sometimes even fatal) and put a great risk to the overall well-being of workers.
According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, head and neck injuries are the third highest cause of work-related emergency room visits. As a business owner, this is something that should concern you greatly. Besides the cost for treating this type of injury and minimized productivity due to the fact that an injured employee will have to take sick leave, let’s not forget the most important thing, head injuries can have devastating consequences on someone’s life. Hence, providing safety hard hats and ensuring your workers wear them at all times is of utmost importance, work safety wise.
And since you can choose between bump caps and hard hats, this article aims to address the differences between the two so it becomes clearer to you which one is more suitable for your type of work.
Hard Hats
Industry hard hats are a great innovation in the world of safety equipment. They consist of a hard shell made of HDPE (high-density polyethylene), nylon, plastic or lightweight thermoplastic resins. Inside they feature a hard hat suspension system which is made of nylon, plastic or a combination of the two materials. Safety hard hats are ideal for workplace environments where head injuries can easily occur as a result of falling objects as well as other debris on the construction site.
Bump Cap
Bump caps have a seamless one-piece design made of either plastic or LDPE (low-density polyethylene). Designed with a lightweight shell without a suspension system, bump caps are great for providing head protection from minor injuries and bumps in an area with low-hanging machinery and low head clearance. They are ideal for work environments such as food processing, meter reading, automotive repair, maintenance departments, truck drivers and pest control. According to HelloWebz, what you need to bear in mind is that bump caps are not regulated while hard hats are WHS required.
To summarize, the best way to determine whether you need a hard hat or a bump cap, is to identify hazards at workplace and access the risks. Do you work in an environment that has a low head clearance? If that is the case then wearing a bump cap would be just fine. But if you work in an environment with a high risk of objects falling, then ensuring workers wear safety hard hats is a must. Remember, safe working environment means less down time, higher productivity and minimal or no risk of work-related injuries.
