Today, hard hats are worn by workers in many types of jobs. They are also worn by football players, soldiers and bike riders. Whether for work or play, they have an essential role in safety.
It's not a new concept.
King Arthur's knights in shining armor wore metal helmets to protect their heads. Ancient drawings depict people in head-protecting hats in the ancient civilizations of China, Egypt, Greece and Rome.
The first protective hats made by E.W. Bullard Company, a mining equipment maker, were made of leather. When Bullard's son returned from the First World War with a steel helmet, that changed.
In more modern times, when famous writer Franz Kafka was with Workers Accident Insurance in Bohemia, he was instrumental in developing the protection hat in 1912, according to legendary management icon Peter Drucker.
In the 1933 construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, all workers had to wear safety helmets. Bullard also designed a helmet for sandblasters with a shield in front, like a window, and a hose for breathing.
In 1938, the first aluminum hard hats were made. They were very durable and fairly lightweight. These hats had one serious drawback: aluminum is a great conductor of electricity.
In the 1950s and 1960s, thermoplastics became the newer material. Manufacturers injected thermoplastic into a mold to produce a hard hat.
Helmets are now made of a high density plastic. They have features like earmuffs, extra ventilation, face-shields, sun visors, linings for absorbing sweat and extra attachments like pagers, radio, cameras or walkie-talkies.
Regardless of its composition and features, to get hard hat protection…
You have to wear it!