Wearing a hard hat is a necessity in any work environment where there are risks of head injuries. It is just as essential to stay informed on the new standards in effect in order to maintain the OHS program up to date. Here are a few of the most recent changes, as well as a reminder of the key points concerning head protection.
Types of hard hats and levels of head protection
Hard hats are designed to help reduce the force of the impact on the head by dispersing the pressure of a hit over a larger area of the skull. However, not all hard hats are the same. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) defines two distinct types:
- Type 1 – protection from impact and penetration at the top of the head (hard hat and large brim)
- Components:
- Moulded shell
- Suspension system including crown straps and headband
- Optional chin strap
- Components:
- Type 2 – protection from impact, penetration at the top of the head, as well as the sides and back (hard hat and large brim)
- Components:
- Moulded shell
- Shock-absorbing system on the sides, front and back
- Suspension system including crown straps and headband
- Optional chin strap
- Components:
For each of these types of hard hats, there are three different protection levels that are also defined by the CSA:
- Class E (20,000 V electrical rating) – non-conducting material (electrical trades)
- Class G (2,200 V electrical rating) – non-conducting material (general trades)
- Class C (no electrical rating)
New regulation
The new CSA Z94.1-15 standard will become effective on June 1, 2016, and according to Steven Belleville, Regional Sales Director, Honeywell, for the Montreal area, it will bring transformations, especially for hard hat manufacturers. Here is an overview:
- Protection area established:
- A minimum protection area around the top of the head has been established for penetration and impact tests.
- Headform size “0” eliminated:
- The largest size of headform (size “0”) is no longer specified for testing purposes.
- Aging requirements eliminated
- New standard and product compliance:
- CSA Z94.1-15 does not require users to discontinue using products labeled as compliant with the CSA Z94.1-05 standard.
“We are not talking about major changes for the consumers,” specifies Mr. Belleville. “Of course there will be an improvement of the protection against lateral impacts using hard hats going down a little lower over the head. However, workers will be allowed to continue working with their hard hats compliant with the CSA Z94.1-05 standard.” On this subject, note that the latter will continue to be manufactured until May 30, 2016.
Reversible hard hats
“Prior to 2005, there was a gray area concerning reversible hard hats, according to our expert. Now, the CSA standard exists for manufacturing with a label that must be visible on the hard hat.” The requirements of the CSA 2015 standard indicate that manufacturers must continue to identify reversible hard hats using the logo below, if it has been tested and is compliant with the requirements for reversible hard hats.
New products by Honeywell
While waiting for the launch of new products in the upcoming weeks, Honeywell offers two product lines that take into account the latest CSA regulations; which are the Fibre-Metal (for welding and assembly) and North (for more general use). In addition to meeting the highest standards, these products have proven their performance and are known for their high quality and reliability. All Honeywell products are available on the SPI Health and Safety website.
