Personal protective equipment plays a key role in ensuring the safety of electricians, and hard hats and safety glasses are two essential components. It’s a bit like something out of Little Red Riding Hood: safety glasses protect our eyes “all the better to see what we are doing,” and hard hats protect our brains “all the better to process what we are doing.” 

Over the past few decades, both of these pieces of the safety puzzle have undergone significant improvements that increased in protection, style and comfort. These last two are important factors in ensuring that safety equipment will be used as required. Let’s face it: the uglier and more uncomfortable it is, the less likely we are to wear it.

Hard hats

The first iteration of the hard hat, an iconic symbol of construction work, dates back to the early 20th century. Edward W. Bullard is credited with the first commercially available head protection device that he called the Hard Boiled Hat. After noting how effective helmets were for soldiers during World War I, he saw the protection it would afford to workers in the mining industry. 

The first hard hats were made from layers of heavy duck canvas that were steam-formed to fit the human head, had leather brims to give some level of protection for the eyes and were then coated in shellac to hold up to conditions in the mines. Not exactly what we would consider today to be stylish, but certainly effective.

The modern hard hat has changed quite a bit over the years. Most are now made from high-density polyethylene and are available in cap style (think of baseball helmets) or full-brim style. They are available in two protection levels: Type 1 provides top impact protection only, while Type 2 provides top and lateral protection. Hard hat classifications are further broken down into three protection classes: Class G hard hats provide electrical protection up to 2,200V, Class E hard hats provide electrical protection up to 20,000V, and Class C hard hats provide no electrical protection and are only used in environments where electrical risks are absent.

Klein Tools’ 60406RL nonvented full-brim hard hat

While most manufacturers continue to offer the tried-and-true standard hard hat we all know and love, some are taking advantage of newer materials and technologies to produce improved versions. Lincolnshire, Ill.-based Klein Tools’ model 60406RL hard hat incorporates several of them. It has front and rear accessory mounts for attaching the included headlamp or work light. The headlamp is rechargeable and magnetic, which eliminates the need for straps or zip ties to hold it in place. This feature also enables it to be easily removed, attached to another metallic surface and used as a work light. The hard hat carries a Class E rating, making it a great choice for electricians who work with energized circuits. 

The Klein Tools model 60407RL incorporates adjustable vents on the sides so air can circulate through the hard hat. While this drastically improves wearer comfort, the hard hat carries a Class C rating, which isn’t rated for energized work.

Safety helmets

Many contractors are also moving away from the more traditional hard hat and using newer safety helmets. They closely resemble those worn by hockey players and rock climbers. Lighter-weight materials such as composites, fiberglass and advanced thermoplastics provide impact resistance and comfort. 

Milwaukee Tool’s 48-73-1300 BOLT safety helmet

While traditional hard hats tend to shift or fall off during accidents, or even when working in windy conditions or stooping over to work on something on the ground, safety helmets have chin straps that keep them in place. Helmets are also smaller and more compact than hard hats, resulting in increased comfort and ease of use.

Milwaukee Tool, Brookfield, Wis., has stepped into this category with its 48-73-1300 BOLT safety helmet. It is available in Class C (vented) and Class E (unvented), as well as in seven different colors (white, yellow, blue, green, red, black, orange and gray). The chin strap has five adjustable buckles, enabling a customized and comfortable fit. 

The helmet includes a headlamp mount on the front, a marker clip on the side and several slots for face shields, over-the-ear hearing protection and other accessories. To increase comfort, the suspension is padded and includes a swinging ratchet device. The sweatband and helmet liner are made from antimicrobial materials that prevent odor and bacteria, and both are removable and machine washable. 

Safety glasses

Safety glasses have also come a long way. While past examples were certainly effective, they were traditionally large, bulky and, frankly, not very stylish. This tended to result in users not wearing them when they should, and eye injuries were frequent. Advances in technology and design have produced models that offer more protection and are lighter, more comfortable and stylish.

KleenGuard Nemesis safety glasses are quite popular. These glasses are lightweight with a comfortable wraparound frame that extends the range of peripheral protection. The nosepiece is designed to be flexible to fit different facial structures and soft and grippy so it won’t slip down when the wearer stoops over. 

The open bottom design allows for sweat or water to travel away from the eyes and not pool on the bottom of the frame, which can hamper the user’s vision. The glasses are unisex. The lenses are available in a wide range of colors such as clear, smoke, blue and mirrored and provide 99.9% UVA/UVB/UVC protection.

Milwaukee Tool’s 48-73-2012 safety glasses		Milwaukee Tool’s 48-73-2020 Clear Performance safety glasses

Milwaukee Tool’s Clear Performance safety glasses are stout and manufactured to provide military-grade impact protection. The durable lenses are antiscratch and fog-free, ensuring long life and accurate vision. Lenses are offered in a wide range of colors, including clear, tinted and yellow, covering a wide range of applications. A gray lens is also available for the user who frequently transitions between indoor and outdoor work.

For those on a budget, there are several pairs of safety glasses available at a lower price. DPG103 Rotex protective eyewear made by DeWalt, Towson, Md., is one example. Do not let the low cost fool you; these glasses still provide excellent eye protection, are fairly stylish and have the quality you would expect in safety equipment. 

The ultra lightweight and rubber temple grips are comfortable enough to be worn all day. The lenses are impact-resistant to Z87.1+ and provide 99.9% UV protection. The open design of the lenses stops sweat and water from pooling on the bottom. Although they are not available in quite the range of colors offered by other brands, they still come in clear, smoke and indoor/outdoor styles. These glasses are great for workers on a budget or those who cycle through eyewear frequently due to scratching or other damage.

Additional considerations

While protection is the most important factor in the use of any safety-­related equipment, comfort should also be considered. Since hard hats will likely be worn for the entire day, choosing what is comfortable ensures it will be worn, and the user won’t be distracted by discomfort. 

Tasks also drive what type of hard hat should be used. For most, a full-brim hard hat works well and will provide extra coverage all around the head, but jobs such as welding or grinding may require a cap-style hard hat to accommodate face shields. 

Sticker placement on hard hats is something else to consider. Stickers can be a great way to express individual personalities, and many companies issue them to show specific training that has been accomplished—first aid, confined space or energized work qualified, to name a few. But stickers should not be placed in such excess that they cover up defects or damage to the hard hat. 

Painting the hard hat should also be discouraged, because it could hide defects, and the chemicals in the paint may degrade the material and make it less effective. This is especially true for hard hats that have an electrical rating (classes G and E), as any adhesives in stickers or chemicals in the paint may damage the insulating finish. 

Hard hats with an electrical rating should be treated carefully and kept safe from damage that could affect the insulating rating. Do not let these essential pieces of PPE roll around in the back of the truck or in the bottom of the gang box, for example. 

Hard hat shells should not be cut or have holes drilled in them, nor should the suspension be modified, as these types of actions can lessen the protective qualities. However, hard hats are not intended to last forever. While OSHA does not have a specific time frame on longevity, most manufacturers suggest replacement after no more than two years of service or five years from the date of manufacture, and the suspension needs replacement after no more than 12 months. In addition, hard hats that show any signs of physical damage should be replaced immediately.

MSA Safety’s V-Gard 500 cap-style hard hat		MSA Safety’s V-Gard H2 safety helmet

Just like with hard hats, comfort should be among the top factors when choosing safety glasses. While there are many different lens colors available, the environment they are used in should be strongly considered when choosing a pair. Electricians working outside for prolonged periods should consider wearing tinted lenses to protect their eyes from the sun. When working indoors, safety glasses with clear lenses should be used. Indoor/outdoor lenses are available that are lighter in tint, but not completely clear, and are a good option if you are transitioning from indoor to outdoor frequently so you do not have to carry two pairs of glasses. 

Lens colors such as yellow or blue can brighten the surrounding environment, but colored lenses should be chosen with caution. For example, seen through the wrong colored lens, a green wire can be hard to discern from a blue one, and white no longer appears as such, which is a disastrous situation for an electrician when terminating wires. Safety glasses should be replaced every three years at maximum, but most won’t make it that long. They should be replaced when the lenses become scratched enough to hinder your view or show any other signs of damage.

Conclusion

Advancements in technology and design have given us more options than we have ever had when it comes to head and eye protection. Newer designs focus on protective qualities, style and comfort. Taking into consideration the work environment, the user’s comfort and how often equipment should be replaced, we can ensure protection.

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