Can hard hats safely be worn backwards and other questions

Sometimes in our focus on the complexities of rules and regulations, we forget the simple, common-sense questions where clear answers can make a real difference in safety.

In this month’s OSHA Training Blog, Curtis Chambers addresses some of those issues with “Answers to top five questions about hard hats.”

Here are the questions:

1. Can I wear a ball cap beneath my hard hat?

2. Can I wear my hard hat backwards?

3. Do I have to replace my hard hat when it reaches a certain age?

4. Can I paint the shell of my hard hat?

5. Can I put stickers on my hard hat?

Curtis researched the answers by checking the websites of three leading hard hat manufacturers. As you might expect, the three mostly agree. Although, interestingly, they disagree about whether a hard hat can safely be worn backwards.

Curtis also rightly notes that the answers may change, so always check the manufacturer’s web site as well as the printed materials that come with your hard hat for their latest recommendations. And be aware that in some cases, the manufacturers’ guidance is restricted to a particular model or type of hard hat.