Hard Hat FAQ
Q. What is the service life of my hard hat?
A. Hard hats are constructed with high-quality, wear-resistant materials such as aluminum, fiberglass or HDPE. However, they will not last forever. The service life of a hard hat will depends on the particular types and levels of exposure it will be subjected to within its environment of use. Temperature, chemicals, sunlight and the level of daily wear and tear will all affect the longevity and service life of a hard hat. Below is a generally recommended hard hat replacement schedule:
Hard Hat Suspensions should be replaced after no more than 12 months of continuous daily use, whereas it is recommended that the entire hard hat be replace after no more than 5 years of continuous daily use.
Please note that these are maximum service life recommendations and wear or damage that is noticed during a daily,regular inspections should be the final determining factor for early replacement of your hard hat(s). In the event of any impact or penetration of the hard hat shell it is recommended that you immediately replace your hard hat with a new one.
Q. Is the date code on the inside of a hard hat when the service life begins?
A. Not necessarily. The service life of a hard hat begins on the date when it is actually placed in service and that date should be noted in the helmeton the ANSI label or with a “date of use” service label.Generally, the "date code" listed in the inside of a hard is simply refers to the date it was manufactured and therefore does not provide an accurate timeline to determine the service life of the hard hat.
Q. My hard hat suspension is different from the original manufacturer of the hard hat, is that OK?
A. No. To maintain the safety and integrity of a hard hat it is VERY important to never mix and match hard hats and suspension manufactures. Only use suspensions and hard hat replacement parts from the matching brand or manufacturer. If you cannot determine the brand or manufacturer of your hard hat and need to replace the suspension or accessory, it is probably time to get and complete new hard hat setup.
Q. Can hard hats be worn backwards?
A. Sometimes. When the suspension attachment point in your hard har are identical front to back then the suspension attachment can be reversed which will then allow you to wear the hard hat backwards while still maintaining the required hard hat protective headway standards. Recently, many manufactures have begun making swing-style suspensions which allows the user to quickly change the direction of how the hard hat is worn.
Q. Is it OK to paint my hard hat?
A. No, it is not. You should never paint a hard hat since paints often include chemicals that can damage the physical properties of the hard hat shell and thus reduce the integrity and safety protection standards of the hat.
Q. Can I store items in my hard hat between shell and suspension?
A. No. Any personal items such as gloves, tools, cigarettes, ear plugs or others must NEVER be placed within a hard hat while it is worn. The space between the suspension and the shell is necessary to provide protection by absorbing energy in the case of an impact. If objects are occupying this space and such an event occurs, it may result in the malfunction of the hard hat and can cause serious injury to the head and even be fatal.
