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OSHA Standards For Wearing A Hard Hat
OSHA Standards For Wearing A Hard Hat
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency for enforcing workplace safety laws, provides standards to protect workers from possible dangers at the workplace. For the construction industry, one of those protections is the OSHA standards for wearing a hard hat.
Responsibilities
The "Duty of Care" principle means companies need to plan for the prevention of accidents at worksites. Under this standard, an employer must initially evaluate the activities of its employees and the surrounding activities on the job site and determine whether these hazards require the need for a hard hat to be worn. Employees who are obligated to wear a hard hat can be penalized under OSHA regulations for failing to wear the hat.
Performance
OSHA relies on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-1997 guideline for compliance regarding hard hats. This ANSI statute recognizes three classes of hard hats, each which must withstand blows to the head and exposure to a variety of electrical impacts. The head wear must be tested for penetration, flammability resistance and water absorption.
Exemptions
In 1978 OSHA provided an exemption from wearing hard hats for employees who are members of the Old Order Amish or Sikh Dharma Brotherhood religious communities. In 1993, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act created OSHA standards for wearing a hard hat for employers and employees with specific
personal religious convictions. In such cases, the employer will not enforce wearing a hard hat, will instruct workers about the hazards of not wearing a hard hat and will contact OSHA.
A. Items such as gloves, cigarettes and earplugs should NEVER be stored between the suspension and the shell. This space is needed when the shell and suspension absorbs the energy of an impact. Such objects in this space can transmit large forces to the head and neck, resulting in serious injury or death.