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I have read that the lifespan of a hard hat from manufacture to end of life is recommended as three years or earlier if damaged with paint, bumps, scratches etc.
Can anyone expand on this please?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Generally yes. Each hat when new should have an instruction and information sheet with it. Depending what its used for 3 may be too long, also depends on storage when not in use - cool and dark versus car back shelf in the sunshine.
Some have a disc which changes colour depending on UV exposure to allegedly give an indication of sun damage, not sure of the veracity of them.
The manufacturers and suppliers are generally helpful if asked.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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bluewater wrote:I have read that the lifespan of a hard hat from manufacture to end of life is recommended as three years or earlier if damaged with paint, bumps, scratches etc.
Can anyone expand on this please? Three years from manufacture is rather short (if the hat is cared for). Manufacturers generally quote longer lifetimes, but ask the manufacturer. eg, Centurion says: Lifetime of a Helmet The helmet has been designed to have an in-use life of up to 5 years from date of issue to the user (ie. removal from storage). It is recommended that after 5 years use the helmet is destroyed. Excessive wear & tear and use in extreme environments can considerably reduce the lifespan of the product. In general, ‘Lifetime’ of any helmet is 5 years from first use or 10 years from manufacture, whichever should come first.
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I always thought it was 5 years
I generally use the rule of thumb if it looks in poor shape it generally is and as such need replacing
I find site lads get use to their hard hat and want to keep it, best time to change is in the summer with sweaty hats most are glad of a clean and fresh hard hat
If a hard hat is used only vary rarely and stays stored correctly don't see why you can't wear it for longer than stated
|n other words if the hard hat is looked after it will look after you
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Inside a new hard hat you should find a little instruction leaflet. This tells you the manufacturer's recommendations. Sometimes it is 3 years maximum and sometimes it is 5.
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Thank for all the replies guy's, it is all ggood stuff and much appreciated.
We use "V Guards" and as with most hard hats, the date of manufacture is stamped on the brim. However, the reason I asked the original question was because I have an HSE quote which states that they recommend change of hard hat 3 years from date stamped on the helmet.
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Just to complicate it further, the manufacturer's recommendation is sometimes to apply the shelf life from when the hat goes in to use, not from the date of manufacture. The one I have now doesn't even have the date stamped in.
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Are hard hats recyclable? It isn't like the HSE to make such specific recommendations, but in a harsh environment, that's a reasonable guideline.
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Kate wrote:Just to complicate it further, the manufacturer's recommendation is sometimes to apply the shelf life from when the hat goes in to use, not from the date of manufacture. The one I have now doesn't even have the date stamped in. Is it a UK hat? The only hat I've seen that doesn't have a manufacture date marked is one that an employee brought with them having been working elsewhere in the world. Interestingly, it was a UK manufacturer, and a UK model. We have some of that model ourselves, and all ours have the manufacture date, but this one didn't.
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They are so cheap why not change them every 3 years. The sweat band should be cleaned when required though as some folks lend hats to others.
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zimmy wrote:They are so cheap why not change them every 3 years. The sweat band should be cleaned when required though as some folks lend hats to others.
Sorry Zimmy but why would you change hard hats before you have had the maximum useful life out of them. From a financial and environmental point it doesn't make sense. I work on 5 years from issue with regular inspections to confirm they are visually ok.
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I forgot. I buy my own as a matter of course. Don't like the base models and prefer to have a choice rather than have some cheapskate dish um out. ops
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If that's aimed at me we don't offer base models. We use MSA V Guard and Protector tuffmaster. We don't expect or allow employees to purchase their own PPE.
Being smart about PPE spend and use doesn't necessarily equate to being cheap.
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Yes, my hat with no manufacture date was purchased in the UK from a well-known UK supplier. It's their own brand hat.
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Kate wrote:Yes, my hat with no manufacture date was purchased in the UK from a well-known UK supplier. It's their own brand hat. You obviously keep your hard hat away from others but if all your employees used the same hats with no info in them, it would cause problems for inspecting them and checking when the hard hats 'use by date' was up. Seems very little or a potential problem with tracibility imo
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JohnJ
My post was not 'aimed' at anyone. If it was I would have named you. I just prefer to do my own thing. And, as a matter for the record, if they want, the people I look after can order the same and the company pays.
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As a general observation, I don't suggest that employers allow their employees to do "their own thing" as this can lead to a loss of 'control' over what PPE is being worn. It's generally easier to manage your PPE by ensuring that employees are provided with PPE that is suitable for them, the type of work that they do, and which protects them from the hazards to whch they are exposed.
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A whimsical thought: Some of you who have looked at the link provided by Betta Spenden may well wonder if there is a potential and highly lucrative market for such hats among the "cowboys" in the UK construction industry, etc. Such hats would certainly make it easier to identify the cowboys!!!! :-)
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I consult with my people re PPE. Better to give them a choice of wearing something they chose than something inflicted on them. More chance of them wearing it when eyes are looking else where? Consultation is a legal requirement (and a moral one as far as I can see)
:-)
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zimmy wrote:I consult with my people re PPE. Better to give them a choice of wearing something they chose than something inflicted on them. More chance of them wearing it when eyes are looking else where? Consultation is a legal requirement (and a moral one as far as I can see)
:-) Ah, I see what you've done there. You've confused understanding what the requirements are, looking after your budget and agreeing with employee reps what PPE is appropriate with having a casual disregard for your employers money, risks to their business in order to get a few extra bonus points in the Safety Managers X factor competition :0) Our employees (through their reps) are very much part of the selection process. All PPE is trailed before use and the feedback used to guide our PPE spend. It is through this consultation we settled on two very good hard hats.
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You might want to also think about adopting a further simple measure in replacing the helmets every 3/5 years by ensuring that any new issues are accompanied by a change in colour so that any "rogue" ones can easily be spotted.
At a previous employer we did manage to send all of our old helmets for recycling albeit for little financial reward, but more about doing our bit for the environment.
Zyggy
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Well, JohnJ
Everyone is happy here and as far as 'You've confused understanding what the requirements are' the answer to that is no. The managers and owners are more than happy with the way I work. If they were not so, then I would not be doing what I do.
Please keep comments like that to yourself in future as unless you have inside information as to how we conduct ourselves here, you are second guessing. There is more to H&S than a few pence.
So, you do offer a choice of hats then? Not that I'm too worried.
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