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According to ANSI Z89.1, there is a specific clearance area that the suspension of the hard hat maintains between the hard hat shell and the wearers head. Adding anything to this area can have detrimental effects to the performance of your hard hat. Only items that are specifically designed by the manufacturer should be added.

As long as the areas of the helmet that are covered do not restrict regular inspection of the shell or suspension, then yes, stickers and decals can be safely added.

The shell and suspension of your hard hat should be inspected daily for signs of dents, cracks, penetration, impact damage, and wear. Cleaning, disinfecting, and storing your hard hat will allow for longer overall use. With proper maintenance, a quality helmet can last for up to 5 years. Most manufacturers, however, say replacing them every 1-2 years is ideal.

According to ANSI Z89.1-2003, use caution when painting hard hats since some paints and thinners may deteriorate the shell and reduce protection levels. Be sure to contact the manufacturer and verify potential hazardous before painting.

Hard hats marked with an “HV” indicate that they have met all manufacturer testing requirements for high visibility colors. This includes tests for chromaticity and luminescence.

Hard hats that are marked with an “LT” indicate that this particular safety device has the ability to withstand temperatures as low as -22 F. It has been conditioned and tested by the manufacturer to meet these low temperature (LT) requirements.

ANSI Z89.1 was revised in 2009 to address concerns regarding wearing hard hats in reverse or “reverse donning”. According to this revision, as long as the hard hat can pass the manufacturers testing requirements, it can be worn backwards or forwards. Look for the reverse donning arrow on the inside of the helmet to verify this capability.

Hard hat shells can be manufactured in a variety of materials. Most are made with some form of thermoplastic; either polyethylene (HDPE) or polycarbonate. They use these materials because they are lightweight, strong, and easily molded. They can, however, be made with other materials such as fiberglass, resin-impregnated textiles, or aluminum.

Hard had suspensions will often consist of strips of woven nylon webbing and bands of molded HDPE, nylon, or vinyl. Type II hard hats will often have an additional polystyrene ...

For eyewash stations to be effective, ANSI recommends that the eyes be flushed immediately for at least 15 minutes (at a low pressure) with either water or flushing fluids. The amount of time needed for rinsing should be increased if the contaminate is corrosive. Here are the ANSI recommendations based on severity.

• 5 minute flushing for mildly irritating chemicals
• 20 minutes for moderate-to-severe irritants
• 20 minutes for non-penetrating corrosives
• 60 minutes for penetrating corrosives

In all cases, if irritation persists, repeat the flushing procedure and ...

Eyewash squeeze bottles or personal eyewash units should only be used to supplement the approved ANSI eyewash stations. These single use bottles are portable and permit immediate flushing but they can also be difficult to use during an emergency and only provide flushing for one eye at a time. Once immediate flushing has taken place the injured person should immediately be taken to an ANSI approved eyewash station.

According to ANSI Z 358.1, there are two kinds of eyewash stations that are acceptable. They can be either plumbed or self contained (also called portable or gravity fed). Plumbed eyewash stations are permanently fixed to a source of clean, unlimited water. Self contained eyewash stations are portable, stand alone, units that contain enough solution to flush the eyes for at least 15 minutes. Squeeze bottle flushing units are not an approved eye wash option according to ANSI.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Most flushing solutions are made with saline that is similar to human tears, typically the same pH. They also contain preservatives to help reduce the growth of bacteria. If maintained properly, these flushing solutions are perfect but there is a limit to the amount that can be stored in a unit. Tap water is unlimited but it can contain chlorine and other chemicals that can cause further irritation to the eyes. Choosing which ...

According to PreventBlindness.org, there are three things you can do to help prevent an eye injury.

• Know where certain eye hazards exist.
• Eliminate hazards before starting work.
• Use proper eye protection.

According to PreventBlindness.org, the common causes for eye injuries are:

• Airborne objects (metal, glass, etc)
• Tools
• Particles (dust, sparks)
• Chemicals
• Harmful radiation
• Any combination of these or other hazards

All safety glasses that are certified by OSHA utilize polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonate offers a number of benefits that are useful in hazardous working environments including UV protection, impact resistance, and scratch resistance. They are also typically thinner, lighter and will not shatter on impact. Polycarbonate is also the preferred choice for high prescription eyewear.

Plastic lenses or CR-39 lenses are used for most prescription eyewear. It is a cost effective, lighter alternative to glass and can be coated to provide scratch ...