If you have ever worn a hard hat for any period of time especially where there are low hazards you will knowthe guys actually often end up bumping their heads as the peaks can obscure the upward vision. Typically it is the brickies going up and down the ladders who are most common in this but many others. As long as the hat is on their head - also the hats are round so it really makes not a lot of difference apart from the fact the harness is lower at the back and probably makes their foreheads sweaty. I've not hear of any accidnets where people have been injured when wearing their hat the wrong way round if I'm honest.

The peaks can obscure upward vision e.g. when going up a ladder on a scaffold and so some trades will wear them backwards. Surveyors/scaffolders hard hats have a shorter peak.

Hi, Operatives have been known to cut the peak off because it obscures vision; really the helmet should be compatible with the work being done. It is possible to obtain helmets without a peak which can be more acceptable for such as surveyors and scaffold erectors because there is nothing obstructing their upward vision, it would be interesting to know if there are any accident stats comparing peaked v peakless, I have heard of someone being injured by the peak when wearing the helmet back to front. Although you can always impose a blanket rule for all and often its necessary unfortunately you can’t watch all the workforce all the time so if an alternative design is available that does the job and is more acceptable to those doing the work then why not provide some choice. Regards Steve

An assessment of the reasons for wearing them the wrong way must be the first step. If it is deemed neccesary to wear them and not just a whim of the management team - and every other opton has been discounted - then enforce the rules. David

Many years ago I was informed that the helmets are designed in such a way that the strap at the back, when worn correctly, prevents the helmets falling off and this was subsequently demonstrated to me. There are comments here with regards to peaks being cut off etc, would we accept fingers cut off gloves; toe caps cut out of boots (yes I've seen it), overalls tied round the waist, dust masks on the head (maybe that's the way forward for head protection), the answer I believe is no, so why should we accept wilful damage to helmets and incorrect use of said items. If suitable equipment is identified and provided, the answer is not always wear it or get off site, it starts with education and supervision/monitoring and then as a last resort 'wear it or get off site'. Solo!

When i worked at BP on Saltend, one of our lads used to work with his helmet the wrong way round. The safety officed said to me "Get that man to start wearing his helmet correctly or he can leave the site now"......although he used a selection of different words not suitable for a forum. He added "There will be no further warnings" It was the last time the helmet was worn incorrectly.

Some hardhat manufacturers do test their hard hats 'both ways round', in which case there is probably not a significant issue. Of course if the manufacturer of your particular brand of hard hat does not test both ways then I guess you would not be compliant with manufacturers instructions and would be liable if anything did go wrong. I'm sure I recall an example of an accident where something fell on a chaps head and it was shown that it was the peak of his hard hat (worn the wrong way around) that dug into the neck bones and broke his neck but this may be one of those urban myths you get told as a newbie on site to encourage you to wear the hard hat the right way round!

"Does it really make any difference to the safety performance of the hat?" Surely that's the problem none of us can say you have to follow the manufacturers instructions. if it states the hat can be worn both ways then that's fine but if it states it should be worn with the peak to the front then that's the way it has to be worn. The hard hat has been designed to absorb forces in certain direction by adjusting the hat to something it wasn't designed to do then no longer will it perform it's function. It's for the manufacturer to state how the hat should be worn not for H&S bods to have their own take on take on the matter. Phil

I see some interesting comment, so here’s my view. A hard hat is a 2 part safety system, a hard shell and a shock absorber. It is important that the shock absorber is fitted correctly, the orientation of the hard shell is less important. When I come across people wearing them the wrong way around I try to get them to reverse the webbing so the shock absorber works. A worse problem than wearing them the wrong way round, is wearing them over a bobble hat or baseball cap. Steve

Farrel, your comment above about the employee changing the direction of the hat when not being watched, hints at a very poor health and safety culture and perhaps the need for some disciplinary action. I doubt your local HSE/LA inspector will agree that its an employee problem if you have not addressed both culture and discipline.

Hats are designed with peak at front to be worn with peak at front, anything else is misuse Simple as that

Surely it is very foreseeable that a hard hat will be worn back to front. Thus the manufacturer should be taking that in to account in their safe design.

It really makes no difference, from years of experience working on sites, i can tell you that the hats are only good for protecting your head from falling objects. if you fall the hat will come off, nobody wears the strap to keep it on your head, so if its back to front or not, it will save you from falling objects. Post over!

There is considerable confusion and misinterpretation about whether OSHA allows hard hats to be worn backward. Prior to allowing employees to wear their hats backward, always get written verification from the hard hat manufacturer on whether your hard hat model has been tested and found to be compliant when worn with the bill turned to the rear. The manufacturer may specify that proper performance requires the suspension to be reversed in the helmet, so that the headband is oriented normally to the wearer's head (i.e., with the brow pad against the forehead and the extended nape strap at the base of the skull). In this manner, only the shell of the helmet is positioned backward on the head. If you are ever in doubt about the use or maintenance of your hard hat, contact the manufacturer directly for instructions and recommendations. The cost of maintaining and replacing your hard hat is well worth the benefits.

Hein, You are absolutely correct Reg wise, but I guess I'm being the annoying kid at the back of the class going "but why??" Is it because the hard hats are deliberately constructed weaker at the back? If so, that doesn't seem ethical. Is it because the webbing will be the wrong way round? Then why not reverse it. Is it because the peak will dig into the neck if knocked? Could it not be argued that it provides extra neck protection. Is it because it looks daft? Then just say so. Maybe the answer is "Just because!" but it is not a particularly intellectually satisfying one.

My humble opinion. Manufacturers of PPE put many man hours, and money into designing a product that will protect the user off it. If it was designed to be worn both ways round, they would probably be called something like - Universal Hat's. The webbing is designed to fit behind the occipital bone of the head (back part) specifically to ensure that it is held to the head in a secure position. The front "lip" is specifically designed as protection from sun, and also to take some force from a frontal impact. Honestly if someone wants to wear a hard had the wrong way around purely because it looks cool, maybe he should consider a different occupation. PPE standards are there to protect the person wearing it from personal injury, and can not expect a company to be held liable should he get injured due to his non-compliance in manufacturers recommendations. If this is really a big problem, then consider a different style of PPE or hardhats as it may. The "Cool" excuse is not acceptable in any industry. Safety first like we all now. But this said I see where you are coming from. Out here where I am, they remove the webbing because the hard hat fits better over there beanies. If we find them doing that, we remind them of the PPE standard, and second offense is dismissible.