In 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recorded the highest annual fatal occupational injury rate since 2016—3.6. Nearly 5,200 fatal work injuries were reported that year, a rise of roughly 9 percent, when compared to 2020’s statistics.
Additionally, an employee passed away every 101 minutes from a work-related injury in 2021, according to the BLS. These statistics were partly due to construction and extraction employees’ fatalities, as 951 workers passed away in 2021, the second highest aggregate recorded that year, with regards to occupational deaths.
As a further example of the construction industry’s on-the-job dangers, 2,210 construction workers passed away from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) between 2003 and 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Clearly, the risks for life-threatening injuries are still considerably high in the construction industry, despite the safety precautions that have been implemented in recent years. TBIs, in particular, remain a concern for construction employees, especially those that are employed by small construction companies (with 20 employees or less).
After all, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, small construction companies’ workers were over 2.5 times more likely to pass away from a TBI than those who worked for large companies with 100 or more employees.
With this in mind, you must take every precaution you possibly can, starting with purchasing a hard hat that’s the most suitable for your head’s size, your usual job duties and the weather conditions you’ll typically encounter.
While looking for your next hard hat, you’ll soon notice that there are a variety of options available, likely leading you to wonder which one you should purchase.
If you’re seeking 360-degree protection from practically any hazard you may face, consider buying a full brim hard hat, as it will offer you a wide array of other benefits—in addition to full head protection—including the following.
Why Buy Full Brim Hard Hat?
When construction workers discuss the benefits of wearing full brim hard hats, they’ll likely mention their 360-degree protection, which I briefly discussed above, first and foremost. Aside from protecting your ears, face, neck and shoulders from hazards like falling debris, full brim hard hats will protect you from another significant, potentially dangerous issue you’ll encounter on your jobsites: the sun. Consequently, your likelihood for sun-associated injuries, from sunburns to skin cancer, will potentially diminish.
Not to mention, full brim hard hats will also guard you from other elements associated with Mother Nature, such as heavy rains and wind, which would have otherwise harmed your eyes. By guarding you from wind, you’ll be protected from dust as well—one of the most harmful jobsite hazards.
Generally comprised of high-density polyethylene (PE) plastic, which has a high strength-to-density ratio, full brim hard hats can absorb impact from fallen hazards, too. To do so, they utilize their hard outer shells, enabling them to not only deflect impacts, but also disperse any force that’s associated with them.
This force dispersion is primarily due to their interior suspension bands. As a result of these bands, the hard hats’ shell surfaces won’t ever be on your head. And, in turn, the bands will absorb any impact from hazards, thereby ensuring your skull will never have to, leading to a considerable reduction in head injuries.
In addition to protecting your head from a variety of on-the-job injuries, full brim hard hats are protected from damage themselves, as they likely won’t crack or shatter, even as heavy hazards strike them. Capable of withstanding significant blunt forces, due to their typical high-density PE composition, the safety helmets will potentially endure for years to come.
Finally, since some full brim hard hats have slots, you’ll be able to also add accessories to them, from chin straps, to ear protection, to exterior lighting. Consequently, your jobsite safety will increase even further.
To notice some, if not all, of these benefits, consider purchasing one of the following full brim hats, each of which I—along with my IRONPROS colleagues—fully recommend.
AcerPal Full Brim Hard Hat
AcerPal Full Brim Hard Hat.
Available in six colors, this hard hat is highly durable, yet also lightweight, enabling you to comfortably wear it for several hours at a time. Developed to meet ANSI Z89.1, Type 1 standards, the hard hat is completely compliant with OSHA too, as it has a variety of features that ensure it’s worn in a very secure, comfortable manner. For instance, it has an adjustable, six-point ratchet suspension system, a chin strap and a padded harness. Additionally, it features a soft brow pad that can easily be replaced. Due to each of these features, you’ll have a hard hat that maintains a proper fit consistently, leading to long-term safety.
Best Features: Adjustable, six-point ratchet suspension system; replaceable soft brow pad
Price: $43.95 - $47.95 – Buy full brim hard hat on Amazon.com
GREEN DEVIL Full Brim Hard Hat
GREEN DEVIL Full Brim Hard Hat.
Durable, yet very lightweight too, this hard hat has various vent holes, which can be effortlessly opened and closed, leading to airflow and coolness on hot days. Offering an adjustable, six-point ratchet suspension system, resulting in high shock absorption, the hard hat also has a removable chinstrap, which features a molded chin-cup. Consequently, it’s very secure and stable, regardless of the tasks you have to conduct, including those that require you to steadily move up and down, which may have otherwise led to a loose fitting. Providing a removable, cotton sweatband, which has a porous coating, the hard hat will absorb your sweat on hot, humid days as well.
Best Features: Adjustable, six-point ratchet suspension system; removable cotton sweatband
Price: $41.99 – Buy full brim hard hat on Amazon.com
Honeywell E-1 Full Brim Fibre-Metal SuperEight Hard Hat
Honeywell E-1 Full Brim Fibre-Metal SuperEight Hard Hat.
Offered in seven colors, this hard hat is heat and scratch resistant, due to its robust thermoplastic material composition. Able to meet ANSI Z89.1-2009 Type 1, Class E standards, it has an eight-point ratchet suspension system that can be effortlessly adjusted, via a quick-turn knob. As a result, it can fit nearly any head size in a highly secure manner, as its ratchet will never slip. Featuring padding on its forehead, the hard hat can also absorb any frontal impacts that may occur, thereby reducing forehead injury likelihood. And, for high protection in low light conditions, high visibility hard hats—which feature reflective tape as well—are available, too.
Best Features: Eight-point ratchet suspension system; heat and scratch resistance
Price: $29.35 – Buy full brim hard hat on Amazon.com
LANON Full Brim Hard Hat
LANON Full Brim Hard Hat.
Comprised of fire retardant fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP), this durable, yet lightweight, hard hat is completely compliant with OSHA and ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014, Type 1, Class C standards. Featuring a knob that can be quickly adjusted, the hard hat will fit a majority of workers’ head sizes. Offering an adjustable, four-point ratchet suspension system, leading to comfort and stability, it also has a soft brow pad that can be replaced. Additionally, it has a forehead padding that absorbs any frontal impacts you may encounter. To maintain its longevity, the padding can be removed and washed. For further comfort and safety, the hard hat has an adjustable chin strap, too.
Best Features: Adjustable, four-point ratchet suspension system; removable, washable forehead padding
Price: $39.99 – Buy full brim hard hat on Amazon.com
Pyramex HP54110 Ridgeline Full Brim Hard Hat
Pyramex HP54110 Ridgeline Full Brim Hard Hat.
Comprised of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic resin, leading to its simultaneous robustness and ultra-light weight, this hard hat is comfortable, yet also very safe. Up to 10% lighter than other hard hats on the market, it provides high impact protection, enabling it to meet ANSI Z89.1-2009, Type 1 standards. Featuring a four-point ratchet suspension system that can be effortlessly adjusted, the hard hat also has a four-way harness, which can be adjusted too—either backward, downward, forward or upward. Offering a vented pressure pad, along with a sweatband that you can wash and replace whenever necessary, the hard hat provides electrical insulation as well.
Best Features: ABS thermoplastic resin composition; electrical insulation
Price: $16.99 – Buy full brim hard hat on Amazon.com
Things to Know about a Full Brim Hard Hat
How long can I use my full brim hard hat for?
As long as your hard hat is properly maintained, you should be able to use it for up to five years. Your hard hat should feature a manufacturing date, which you must utilize as you determine when it should be replaced.
Should I replace my full brim hard hat’s suspension harness?
Definitely! In fact, manufacturers typically advise workers to replace it at least once a year.
What exactly is the difference between four-point, six-point and eight-point ratchet suspension systems?
Basically, the more points a hard hat’s ratchet suspension system has, the more its impact force will be extended throughout its shell. Consequently, eight-point ratchet suspension systems will absorb more impact force than six- and four-point suspension systems can.
