Objects Inside a Hard Hat

This technical bulletin concerns the matter of wearing or placing objects, such as baseball caps, inside a hard hat.

Bullard hard hats/caps meet or exceed ANSI Z89.1-1997 standards for industrial worker protective headwear. Currently, there are no requirements or tests to examine the effect that a cap or any other object worn inside a hard hat may have on hard hat performance. Therefore, Bullard recommends that hard hat users should never carry or wear anything inside a hard hat.

Bullard makes this recommendation for the following reasons:

1. A clearance must be maintained between the hard hat shell and the wearer's head for the protection system to work properly. An additional cap or other object may limit this clearance.

2. Wearers may be unaware that the cap or object contains metal parts, such as a metal button at the top of a baseball cap, which may diminish the dielectric protection provided by the hard hat.

3. Under no circumstances should any item be placed above or below the crown straps. This will effect the performance of the hard hat.

Users should note that some products, such as fabric winterliners and cotton sunshades, are designed to work in conjunction with hard hats.