How to Choose the Right Safety Helmet for Your Job

Safety helmets are essential personal protective equipment (PPE) that can protect your head from injuries such as impact, penetration, electric shock, and burns. However, not all safety helmets are the same. Depending on the nature of your job and the potential hazards you face, you need to choose the right type of safety helmet that meets the relevant safety standards and provides adequate protection for your specific needs.

In this blog post, we will guide you through the different types of safety helmets, their features, and their applications. We will also explain the main safety standards that regulate safety helmet requirements and performance. Moreover, we will introduce the common color codes that are used to identify the roles and responsibilities of the workers wearing safety helmets. By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of how to choose the right safety helmet for your job.

Types of Safety Helmets and Their Features

safety helmets are usually classified into three types: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Each type of safety helmet has its own features and advantages, as well as limitations and disadvantages. Here is a brief overview of each type:

Class A helmets: These helmets offer impact and penetration resistance, as well as limited voltage protection (up to 2200 volts). They are suitable for general industry workers who are exposed to falling objects or debris, but not to high-voltage electrical hazards. Class A helmets are usually made of hard plastic or fiberglass and have a brim around the helmet to provide shade for the eyes.
Class B helmets: These helmets offer the best quality of protection against electrical hazards, with high-voltage shock and burn protection (up to 20000 volts). They are ideal for electricians and workers who are exposed to high-voltage environments. Class B helmets are usually made of non-conductive materials and have no brim around the helmet to avoid contact with live wires.
Class C helmets: These helmets offer lightweight comfort and impact protection, but no electrical protection. They are designed for workers who need ventilation and mobility, but are not exposed to electrical or falling hazards. Class C helmets are usually made of aluminum or plastic and have vents on the top or sides of the helmet to allow air circulation.

Applications of Different Types of Safety Helmets

Depending on the nature of your job and the potential hazards you face, you need to choose the right type of safety helmet that meets your specific needs. Here are some examples of common applications of different types of safety helmets:

Class A helmets: These helmets are suitable for workers in construction, mining, manufacturing, and other industries where there is a risk of falling objects or debris. They can also be used by road workers, cyclists, and motorcyclists who need protection from impact and penetration.
Class B helmets: These helmets are suitable for workers in electrical, power, and utility industries where there is a risk of high-voltage shocks and burns. They can also be used by firefighters, rescue workers, and military personnel who need protection from electrical and thermal hazards.
Class C helmets: These helmets are suitable for workers in forestry, agriculture, and landscaping industries where there is a need for ventilation and mobility, but no risk of electrical or falling hazards. They can also be used by climbers, mountaineers, and outdoor enthusiasts who need protection from impact and lateral deformation.

Safety Standards for Safety Helmets

Safety standards are guidelines and requirements that dictate the design, construction, testing, and performance of safety helmets. These standards ensure that safety helmets provide effective protection against specific hazards and meet certain criteria for quality and safety. According to the web search results from Bing, there are several safety standards that regulate safety helmet requirements in different regions and sectors. Here are some of the most common ones:

OSHA standard: This is the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard that governs safety helmet requirements for general industry workers (29 CFR 1910.135) and construction, demolition, and renovation workers (29 CFR 1926.100). OSHA requires that safety helmets comply with ANSI/ISEA Z89.1, which is the American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection.
ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 standard: This is the American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection that specifies the types, classes, and testing requirements for safety helmets. It also defines the optional additional features, such as reverse donning, low temperature, high temperature, high visibility, and off-center vertical impact. ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 classifies safety helmets into two types: Type I (top impact) and Type II (top and lateral impact), and three classes: Class E (electrical, up to 20000 volts), Class G (general, up to 2200 volts), and Class C (conductive, no electrical protection).
EN standards: These are the European Norms that specify the requirements and test methods for safety helmets in various sectors and activities. Some of the most common EN standards for safety helmets are: EN 397 (industrial safety helmets), EN 50365 (insulating helmets for use on low voltage installations), EN 12492 (helmets for mountaineers), and EN 443 (helmets for firefighters).
CSA Z94.1 standard: This is the Canadian Standard for Industrial Protective Headwear that specifies the requirements and test methods for safety helmets. It also defines the optional additional features, such as reverse donning, low temperature, high temperature, high visibility, and lateral impact. CSA Z94.1 classifies safety helmets into two types: Type 1 (top impact) and Type 2 (top and lateral impact), and three classes: Class E (electrical, up to 20000 volts), Class G (general, up to 2200 volts), and Class C (conductive, no electrical protection).
77.1710 standard: This is the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) PPE requirement that specifies the use of safety helmets for miners. It requires that safety helmets comply with ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 or an equivalent standard.

Color Codes for Safety Helmets

Color codes are another way to identify the roles and responsibilities of the workers wearing safety helmets. Different colors can indicate the level of training, experience, authority, or function of the workers. However, there is no universal or mandatory color code system for safety helmets. Different organizations or industries may adopt different color codes according to their own preferences or needs. Therefore, it is important to check with your employer or supervisor about the color code system that applies to your workplace.

White: This color is usually worn by engineers, supervisors, managers, and foremen. It indicates a high level of authority, responsibility, or expertise in the workplace.
Yellow: This color is usually worn by laborers and earth moving operators. It indicates a low level of authority, responsibility, or expertise in the workplace.
Blue: This color is usually worn by electricians, carpenters, and other technical workers. It indicates a medium level of authority, responsibility, or expertise in the workplace.
Green: This color is usually worn by safety officers, inspectors, and new workers. It indicates a high level of safety awareness, compliance, or training in the workplace.
Orange: This color is usually worn by road workers, traffic controllers, and crane operators. It indicates a high level of visibility, alertness, or caution in the workplace.
Red: This color is usually worn by firefighters, emergency workers, and first aiders. It indicates a high level of urgency, danger, or risk in the workplace.
Brown: This color is usually worn by welders, boilermakers, and other workers who deal with high heat or fire hazards. It indicates a high level of thermal protection, resistance, or insulation in the workplace.
Grey: This color is usually worn by visitors, guests, or temporary workers. It indicates a low level of involvement, participation, or familiarity in the workplace.

Now that you have learned about the different types of safety helmets, their features, and their applications, as well as the main safety standards and color codes that regulate them, you are ready to choose the right safety helmet for your job. Here are some steps to follow:

Identify the potential hazards you face in your job, such as impact, penetration, electric shock, burn, etc.
Determine the type and class of safety helmet that provides adequate protection against those hazards, based on the features and applications of each type and class.
Check the safety standard that applies to your region and sector, and make sure that the safety helmet you choose meets or exceeds that standard.
Choose the color of safety helmet that matches your role and responsibility in the workplace, based on the color code system that your organization or industry adopts.
Look for the safety helmet’s label or marking that indicates the type, class, standard, and color of the helmet, as well as the manufacturer’s name, date of manufacture, and size.
Try on the safety helmet and adjust the fit, suspension, and chin strap to ensure comfort, stability, and visibility.
Inspect the safety helmet regularly for any signs of damage, wear, or expiration, and replace it if necessary.

Conclusion

Safety helmets are vital PPE that can protect your head from injuries and save your life. However, not all safety helmets are the same. You need to choose the right type of safety helmet that meets the relevant safety standard, provides adequate protection for your specific needs, and matches your role and responsibility in the workplace.

Adminpaul April 17, 2024 0 In Uncategorized

TIPS IN SELECTING A PROPER SAFETY SHOES

How to choose your safety shoes?
When choosing your safety shoes, you should take a certain number of criteria into account, not just those related to personal safety, such as the choice of protection level and anticipated additional protection, but also aesthetic and comfort criteria for the people who will be wearing them, for example, the material used and the shape of the shoes. You should also verify that they meet the security norms concerning the risks related to your business. For safety shoes, Safety joggers norm defines the different criteria according to the protection you need. Be careful not to confuse safety shoes, protective shoes and work shoes. When choosing your shoes you should take into account the differences related to the presence of a toe cap, namely:


Why wear safety shoes?
7% of wounds caused by workplace accidents are foot injuries. Safety shoes must be provided, maintained and replaced by the employer. Employees must wear these shoes when working in or entering high-risk areas. Labor inspection is entitled to sanction the employer if the latter does not provide each employee with suitable safety shoes.
Safety shoes are primarily designed to protect the user’s feet, but Safety joggers shoes also protect electronic components from electrostatic discharges.

Which safety shoes should you choose?
The safety shoes you choose will depend on the level of protection you need while taking into account comfort, aesthetics and price criteria.
All shoes that produced by Safety joggers, Hulk are equipped with an anti-crushing toe cap that resists an impact of 200 joules. Safety shoes must also be a minimum anti-slip on smooth and greasy floors in industrial environments and the soles must be hydrocarbon resistant. It may be necessary to check whether the soles are classified anti-perforation in particular for interventions in mechanical workshops, anti-static in particular for workshops likely to have electrostatic discharges, or fire-retardant, for example in welding workshops. The shoes must also show good wear resistance to avoid premature wear.
Once the necessary types of protection have been determined, one of the first criteria for choosing the most comfortable shoes possible is to determine whether the employees concerned can wear low shoes or should wear high shoes. Then you can decide whether the shoes can be leather or fabric, or if they need to be made of polymeric materials to ensure waterproofness. The material chosen will often determine the weight of the shoes: the lighter the material, the more comfortable they will be. Another vital element to consider when it comes to the comfort of the shoes is the type of material used for the toe cap.
Generally, safety shoe sizes are a bit big, but you should avoid ordering smaller shoe sizes than usual as manufacturers anticipate that they will be worn with thick socks in order to improve the user’s comfort.

What are the work, safety and protective shoe norms?
Safety shoes must meet the EN ISO 20345 norm which requires:
    200 joule impact resistance at the front of the shoe,
    anti-slip soles on smooth and greasy floors in industrial environments (XPS 73012 norm),
    closed back of the shoe.
The EN ISO 20345 norm is then divided into different categories corresponding to specific protections indicated by the letters:
    A: anti-static footwear
    Fo: hydrocarbon-resistant soles
    E: heel and sole energy absorption
    P: perforation-resistant soles
    Wru: upper part of the shoe resistant to water penetration and water absorption
    Wr: water-resistant shoes

The following levels of protection don’t enter into the above classification, but are also defined by the EN ISO 20345 norm:
    Hro: heat contact resistant outsoles
    Hi: heat-insulated soles
    Ci: cold-insulated soles
    C: soles with an electrical resistance lower than 100kW
    CR: cut-resistant soles
    ESD: electro static dissipative shoes (EN ISO 61340-4-3:2001 norm)
    SRA: anti-slip soles on ceramic tile with dilute soap solution
    SRB: anti-slip soles on steel with glycerol
    SRC: anti-slip soles on ceramic tile with dilute soap solution and steel with glycerol
When your business does not present risks related to heavy falling objects, you can consider protective shoes and work shoes which are, for equivalent protection (except crushing of the forefoot), more comfortable and less expensive than safety shoes.

What kind of shoes is appropriate for my work environment?
Safety shoes must be worn in all industries where there is a risk of a foot injury. You have to determine the type of shoes you will need for the work environment:

For indoor and outdoor work, for example on construction sites and in mines, it is better to favor S3 shoes or potentially S5 if it is necessary to intervene in a flooded environment regularly.
In the agri-food industry, generally work is done indoors and in a dry environment. In this case, it is possible to switch to S1 safety shoes or S1P shoes if there is a risk of perforation of the soles. Depending on the type of floor covering, you may also need to provide anti-slip protection such as SRA or SRB, or soles insulated against cold or heat.
In some laboratories, especially for the chemical industry, you will need to provide safety shoes, for example to prevent risks related to products used. In this case you can choose S1, or S2 if there is a spray risk.
On construction sites, often S1 or S1P shoes provide the necessary protection, but you will of course have to adapt the type of protection to your specific risks.
For the automotive industry, shoes must often meet specific risks such as those related to welding. In this case, you can for example look for S1 shoes that are also classified Hro.

At PAULVIC SAFETY , we provide you with the right Industrial safety shoes/boots suitable for your organizational need.

Adminpaul April 5, 2024 0 In Uncategorized

Importance of Wearing Hard Hats on the Job Site

If you work in construction, mining, manufacturing, or any other industry that involves working at height or with heavy machinery, you know how important it is to protect your head from potential hazards.

Adminpaul April 5, 2024 0 In Uncategorized

Importance of Safety Signs in the Workplace

In every workplace, safety is paramount. Whether you’re in a construction site, an office building, or a manufacturing facility, the well-being of employees should always be a top priority.

Adminpaul September 22, 2023 0 In Uncategorized

Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit 2023

Theme: Unlocking new value with reforms, investments and technology

In order to spread the gospel of safety and the need to embrace it, we were at the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit held at Landmark Event Center. Nigeria Energy said and we quote “is set to continue its decade-long legacy by bringing together key stakeholders and professionals to address the country’s peak energy demand and promote decentralization.” The conferences present at the Nigeria Energy will unite government officials, regulators, gas suppliers, power producers, distribution companies, and renewable energy developers. The latest release from Energy & Utilities provides an overview of current energy trends and the sector’s overall health.

The vision of the event which was aimed at relaunching West Africa’s leading energy conference hence “Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit.” The high-level summit aims to gather all stakeholders involved in the value chain, including government leaders, gas companies supplying fuel to grid-connected plants, independent power producers, generation, distribution, and transmission companies, technology providers, and agencies facilitating the development of renewable and off-grid solutions.

The strategic conference will provide a platform for the public and private sector in Nigeria to engage with international energy leaders and investors, not only offering a stage to share knowledge but a platform for developing solutions and forming partnerships to meet Nigeria’s energy challenges.

By engaging the highest level of decision makers and international partners, Nigeria Energy will provide a blueprint for Nigeria’s power sector in the coming years to not only improve access to electricity, but also driving economic growth and creating jobs for Nigerians.

Our representatives were present at the event to bring the need for safety to light to exhibitors and participants.

Adminpaul September 15, 2023 0 In Construction, Energy, Exhibition, safety, Safety Protection

PROPAK 2023

We were at the PROPAK West Africa 2023 Exhibition. The program was aimed at drawing potential buyers and traders to connect and form business relationships across various industries.

Products from printing, packaging materials, plastic and ancillary machinery, food processing and labelling were exhibited at the Landmark event center in the heart of Lagos.

The largest exhibition of packaging, food processing, plastics, labeling and print in West Africa exhibited products from safety to plastics and others which was seen by over 5,500 professionals in Africa’s largest economy.

We were there to contribute our quota by unravelling the need for safety while producing – hence the need for procuring our safety products.

The event was termed as a great networking experience with key off-takers in the Packaging Value-chain. by one of our corporate sales executives who was at the event.

Pictures from the event below