We frequently receive queries regarding the types of hard hats used in construction and how they help identify the roles of the different people wearing them on a UK construction site.
Predominantly made by hardened plastic, interestingly, construction hard hats actually have a ‘expiry date’ – this is due to the fact that plastic is a material that deteriorates over time, resulting in hard hats being replaced periodically.
Whilst the following guide isn’t absolutely true in each and every case, it is a good indicator of who does what, and can be very useful for construction workers to identify certain health and safety factors from afar, when working on a construction site.
Normally reserved for labourers and earth moving personnel, you’re likely to see a lot of yellow hard hats on construction sites!
Blue hard hats are utilised onsite by technical professionals like electricians, plumbers, and carpenters.
Health & Safety and environmental personnel are often seen in green hard hats, although in some instances – new workers on their trial periods are sometimes provided with green hats.
Brown hard hats are given specifically to construction personnel working with high heat applications such as welders.
And finally, white hard hats are used on construction sites to distinguish any managers, foremen, supervisors, and engineers present on the construction site.