It's Hard Hat Awareness Week!
14 - 20 June 2021
Hard Hat Awareness Week was initially introduced to raise awareness for brain injuries obtained in the workplace. It is a chance for businesses and individuals to brush up on best practice and safety regulations surrounding hard hats and head protection.
The Brain injury association, Headway, has teamed up with safety manufacturer, Centurion to promote the importance of recognising & reporting signs of concussion on construction sites. The theme for this year’s awareness week is ‘Stop. Report. Recover.’
Brain injuries are much more common than you think. It is very easy to disregard minor bumps to the head and feel that you are ‘making a fuss’ if you report your head injury. However, with 52% of individuals surveyed by Headway last year claiming that they did not report their head injury to a manager, it is more important than ever that this changes.
‘Every day 1,000 people are admitted to hospital with serious head injuries’ (Headway)
Did you know?
- Hard hats have an expiry date – according to Headway, 28% of people were unaware that a hard hat has an expiry date.
- Direct sunlight is harmful to hard hats, this is why you should never leave your helmet on your dashboard (or anywhere in direct sunlight) when you’re not wearing it. Correct storage is therefore really important. If you are someone who works in direct sunlight all day, you may need to change your hard hat more frequently.
The middle number (21) is the year and the arrow points to the month (5) – so this hard hat was manufactured in May 2021. The maximum shelf life for this JSP helmet is 5 years if it has been stored in reasonable conditions, however, the time in which you use your hard hat is completely dependant on your usage and storage.
A reminder:
Before you put your helmet on, give it a once over – any cracks, dents, nicks or abrasions shouldn’t be ignored. It’s probably time for you to get a new hard hat!
Although the use of hard hats has become commonplace and regulations are widely adhered to, construction sites and similar working environments remain hazardous. This is especially applicable when it comes to head injuries. So wear your hard hat, protect your head.