people below using hard hats....

[G2000]

It is very worth while wearing a hard hat at all times. As Chris says s**t happens.As someone who has witnessed a number of close calls,including a deck chain shackle combo landing 3' from myself and a number of others that had been dropped from a fly floor 40' above, I can honestly say if anyone is working above you, wear one, even if it merely reduces the risk of serious injury then it is worth while. Excuses like, 'its not comfortable', 'it gets too hot', just don't cut it.

[Gilly]

When I implemented the use of hardhats while work was going on overhead, I, as others have mentioned had said hardhats fitted with chin straps. I also considered the fact that many designs of hard hat have a peak, which is less desirable in a theatre application, as it makes you less aware of what is going on overhead. As such I purchasedf hardhats without a peak to resolve this issue.

 

It shows again that reducing/removing the risk is preferable to protecting employees with PPE as this can add additional hazards.

[mikienorth]

Whilst working in construction I was hit on the head by a concrete flooring block, around 300x150mm rectangular (breeze block size) falling from above. I was up a ladder at the time, it had fallen three feet by the time it hit my head.

I was wearing a hard hat. I broke in two peices over my 'lid' and continued its merry way down. Apart from a little surprise and some scuffed shoulders, I was unscathed. My 'lid' went into the skip, and was replaced by a nice shiny one, as it had been damaged by substantial impact.

 

What would have happened had I not had a hard hat on?

 

A few weeks ago I was doing a get out and was hit on the side of the head by a flying frame for a line array, it swung in under my 'lid' and cut my head. I bled, felt a little dizzy but mostly OK.

Later that night, and the next day, I developed poor spatial awareness, such as I felt I was nearer things than I actually was, and my knees buckled a few times.

This cleared up a couple of days later.

Head injuries are nasty things. I always wear a hard hat during ins and outs because of those two occurences.

 

It may not save your life in the worst event, but it'll try, and then when the time comes, if you were wearing one, your life insurance, and the employer who you died working for are far more liable to pay out if you were wearing it. Same if you are seriously injured.

A little macabre maybe, but a point to think about.