Employee Manual 2023 - Flipbook - Page 114
Why Wear Hard Hats?
Safety helmets (hard hats) are rigid headgear of varying materials designed to protect the worker’s
head from impact, flying particles, or electric shock.
Hard hats are your best protection against major head injury. They must be properly adjusted to
provide adequate protection and used anytime there is a potential for head injury.
Helpful tips on choosing and using protective headgear:
Do…
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Use hard hats with a “functional” suspension system. The crown straps fit over the top of
your head to cushion impact.
Keep your headgear clean and in good repair. Check your hard hat for cracks before and
after each use.
Replace a hard hat at least every five years or any hard hat that is cracked or has received a
major impact.
Lighter colored hard hats are cooler to wear in the sun or under infrared energy sources.
All approved hard hats must have an ANSI Z89.1-1986 marking/label placed on the shell
interior.
Always wear a hard hat within a designated construction site (regardless of whether your
particular trade will be creating a head-impact hazard).
Do NOT…
• Use paint or solvents on your hard hat—they can weaken its structure.
• Use someone else’s hard hat or give your hard hat to someone else to use.
• Interchange hard hat shells and suspension systems between different hard hat brands
and/or models.
• Use a bump cap in place of a hard hat.
Other hard hat protective gear may be necessary for special tasks. These include:
• Thermal liners for extremely cold temperatures.
• Sun shields made to fit over the hard hat brim.
• Lamp brackets for work in dark locations.
• Face shield mounts for use around flying particles.
• Hair covers to prevent hair from getting caught in moving machine parts.
Hand Protection
Protect your most valuable tools - your hands
Hand injuries are among the most common of all injuries received in the workplace.
When working with machinery, do not wear rings, jewelry, or loose clothing and do not take
shortcuts with established safety procedures. When operating rotating power equipment, do not
City of Plymouth Employee manual - Page 114 – March 2023
