Many workers, especially those from construction, aerospace, and other manufacturing industries, confront significant daily risks when they report to work. Incidents like falling debris, electrocutions, and heavy equipment failure are among the hazards workers in the said industry face. Thus, providing a hard hat to all workers in these sectors should be a top priority.
Since falls, slips, and trips account for most workplace injuries, this protective gear is vital for preventing head injuries that can lead to life-long damage.
However, if you’re a business owner in the same field, you must know that hard hats are not forever efficient. This raises the question: Does a hard hat expires?
In this article, understand the lifespan of hard hats, how to check their “expiration,” and some signs to look for to know the best time to replace them.
Do Hard Hats Expire? Understanding Their Lifespan
A hard hat is a layer of protection that workers wear in the workplace to avoid injuries. It shields them by reducing the possible force on the head when met by an unforeseen heavy impact.
It is critical to have this protective equipment available to all the workers while ensuring they are up to the standard. So, the question is, how long do these hard hats last? Do hard hats expire?
In essence, a hard hat seems to have an expiration, but in technicalities, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no rules regarding this. Instead, they require strict compliance from the employer to give workers reliable, properly functioning hard hats.
This is why it’s essential to understand a hard hat’s lifespan so you’re sure your business complies with industry guidelines.
Generally, regardless of how it’s taken care of, a hard hat must be replaced after 5 years from release. This is because, even when not in use, the raw materials used to create hard hats may degrade, making them less effective.
However, this range is just hard hats’ shelf life guidelines. You must consider other factors and constantly inspect to know if your hard hats need immediate replacement. First is physical damage. Hard hats must be immediately replaced if there are cracks, scratches, or signs of wear and tear.
Other factors that cause the fast deterioration of hard hats are exposure to UV light and chemicals like cleaning agents, which weaken the hat’s plastic shell. You also have to factor in how frequently these hard hats are used and check for the manufacturer’s recommendation of the ideal time to replace them.
How to Check If Your Hard Hat Has Expired
Unlike other products, such as food and medicine, hard hats don’t have a visible expiration date. Instead, you must use its manufacturing date to determine its expiration date.
Checking the manufacturing date, though, can also be challenging, as they are different from the usual date format. See the steps below to check the manufacturing date that you will use to identify if your hard hat has expired.
- Locate: You can check the stamped manufacturing date on the inside of the helmet. It’s usually found under the brim or on the inner shell of the hard hat.
- Interpret: The date is displayed like this: There’s a number in the middle of a circle, the year the hard hat was manufactured, and an arrow that points to another number, which is considered the month. So, if there’s a number 15 and an arrow pointing to 9, the manufacturing date would be September 2015.
- Determine: Depending on the manual or manufacturer recommendations, you can add 5 years to the manufacturing date to get the possible expiration date of the hat.
Once you identify the expiration date, you should rely on things other than expiration to decide whether you need to replace hard hats. Constantly inspect the hats and check for dents or fading, which signify that the hat needs replacement earlier than the expiration date.
Why It’s Important to Replace Expired Hard Hats
One thing you must not do when dealing with hard hats is to take a chance that they’re still wearable despite minor dents or a little past the supposed expiration date. Hard hats provide maximum protection under normal circumstances, so any impact, harm exposure, or long storage time can reduce the protection they offer.
This is why it’s essential to immediately replace hard hats, even if they’re still in good condition but are past the recommended lifespan.
The regulatory body, OSHA, has a mandate regarding constant inspection and replacement of protective equipment to ensure the safety of all workers. Specifically, for hard hats, there is a federal regulation in the US that requires hard hats to be “maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition.”
Reliability is a significant word in the regulation, so it should be in your company’s best practices to inspect hard hats before usage and spot any signs of damage. According to OSHA, even slight discrepancies in the manufacturer’s instructions should be considered a compromise to the gear’s reliability.
Compliance with these safety regulations will help you avoid paying whopping fines and, most importantly, prevent injuries and fatalities in the workplace. You don’t want your workers to be part of thousands of workplace injuries that can be prevented with reliable protective gear.
Spotlight on 3M Helmets: Durability and Compliance
3M is one of the market’s league leaders in providing durable safety gears that meet industry safety standards, and its hard hat is no exception. The 3M hard hat is designed and patterned to the requirements set by the OSHA and ANSI to ensure that the protective equipment lowers the risks of injuries in the workplace.
But what sets this 3M hard hat against other competitors in the market? Here are some of the 3M helmet features:
- Most 3M hard hats have a UV-resistant shell feature, so they can sustain exposure and lower the chance of destruction. Meanwhile, some helmets feature a sensor disc that changes colour when the hard hat is overexposed to UV light.
- Ventilation systems are integrated to increase user comfort while maintaining high protection.
- All 3M hard hats are made of impact-resistant materials to withstand harsh environments.
- Suspension systems of a 3M hard hat are also easy to adjust, ensuring a secure and customised fit.
With 3M’s immense quality in providing PPEs, the brand has built an impeccable reputation worldwide. So, if you’re looking for a hard hat supplier in Singapore, visit a trusted 3M distributor in the country.
Prioritise Safety with Up-to-Date Hard Hats
After getting an answer regarding hard hats’ expiration, you have learned they have a limited lifespan. This is why it’s essential to regularly inspect the hard hats your employees use in the field and ensure they are still at par with safety regulations. These actions are crucial to keeping your workers safe and maintaining a safe workplace.
One final reiteration: Don’t let an outdated hard hat put your workers and reputation at risk. Make it your habit to replace and dispose of old hard hats; it can be through recycling or following local regulations.
If you need more information on hard hat replacements or need to purchase new ones, go only to your trusted supplier of safety equipment like Lim Kim Hai Electric.
We are a 3M authorised distributor and Singapore’s leading supplier and one-stop shop for safety solutions and accessories.
Being 3M Singapore-certified, we can guarantee that we have the country’s best 3M hard hats and accessories. To explore our full range of 3M hard hat products, visit Lim Kim Hai Electric today and equip your team with top-notch helmets.
