Safety Hard Hats

A safety hard hat is essential to keep yourself safe from falling objects on site. Available in a vast array of styles, colours, and specifications, these critical pieces of safety equipment can be a real lifesaver. Ensure you are buying your hard hat from a reputable source, ensuring your chosen helmet meets all relevant BS / EN standards required to offer the protection you need. Many of these helmets have accessory slots allowing you to configure them specifically to your specific job role, such as by adding ear defenders if you work in a noisy environment.

Hard Hats With Ear Defenders

Hard Hats With Visors

Hard Hats With Chin Straps

Lightweight Hard Hats

Wheel Ratchet Hard Hats

Mining Hard Hats

Full Brim Hard Hats

Hard Hats & Construction Safety Helmets UK

When you think of construction site PPE, one of the first things you will picture in your mind is the safety helmet. This staple of every construction site is a cornerstone of our head protection range and a large part of our overall PPE offering.

Although the construction helmet is the first thing that comes to mind, there are many other settings where you can wear industrial safety helmets as part of personal protective equipment requirements. From industrial manufacturing to infrastructure maintenance and window cleaning, the hard hat has its place as an essential piece of safety equipment.

If you work where there is a potential for falling objects, such as tools, equipment or debris, you should wear a hard hat. We only sell safety helmets manufactured to conform to strict guidelines, allowing you to use them in confidence and compliance with UK health and safety laws.

Examples Of Three Different Safety Helmets

Key Types Of Hard Hats

Below, we have summarised some of the most popular hard hat applications; there are, of course, many more, so if you cannot find the helmet you need, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Construction Hard Hats

You can find almost every type of helmet we sell can, in some way or another, on a construction site; these are best shopped for by feature. We recommend checking out the vented or unvented hard hat categories first.

Worker With A Chain Saw Cutting Trees While Wearing A Hard Hat

Forestry Hard Hats

If you spend most of your time cutting down trees or stump grinding, these feature-rich helmets are the ideal solution. They come with integrated mesh face visors and ear defenders and are compatible with many other essential accessories.

Two Workers With Hard Hats Climbing A Steel Frame

Climbing Hard Hats

These helmets feature chin straps to prevent them from coming loose during a fall. They also have to conform to different standards to those designed for “on-the-ground” use. There are more details on the applicable EN standards on the ‘working at height’ helmets page.

Mining Operative Wearing A Safety Helmet

Mining Hard Hats

These hard hats are designed for the mining industry. The helmet features lamp fitment brackets allowing you to use standard mining lamps. There are further options available for reflectivity and more.

Worker With A Climbing Hat Working On Power Lines

Lines Man Hard Hats

These are specially designed with chin straps and also electrical insulation to meet EN 50365. Specifically to deal with the challenges of working at height around high voltage equipment.

What Colour Of Safety Helmet Should I Wear?

The colour of the hard hat you wear will depend on the environment or industry you work in and the job role that you operate within. Some sites have strict guidelines, whilst others will have no specific rules. The table below should help you identify the most appropriate hard hat colour for your needs.

Industries outside of rail and construction do not generally have written guidelines, so whether you are wearing a white hard hat or a pink one will depend on the specific site rules.

	Construction (BuildUK Standards)	Rail	Factory, Marine, & Other
Blue Hard Hats	Visitors	Allowed	Site Dependant
White Hard Hats	Site Manager / Competent Operative	Allowed	Site Dependant
Yellow Hard Hats	Not Allowed	Not Allowed	Site Dependant
Green Hard Hats	Green Sticker Only Indicates First Aider, Green Helmets Not Allowed.	Not Allowed	First Aider (Site Dependant)
Red Hard Hats	Red Sticker Only Indicates A Fire Marshal. Red Helmets Not Allowed.	Not Allowed	Fire Marshall (Site Dependant)
Black Hard Hats	Supervisor	Not Allowed	Site Dependant
Orange Hard Hats	Slinger / Signaller	Not Allowed	Site Dependant
Grey Hard Hats	Not Allowed	Not Allowed	Site Dependant
Pink Hard Hats	Not Allowed	Not Allowed	Site Dependant

Key Hard Hat Features & Terminology Explained

Non-Vented

These helmets do not feature vents; this keeps the cost down, making them an excellent budget option.

Close-up Of Air Vents On The EvoLite Helmet

Vented Hard Hats

Vents on the top of the helmet help to keep your head cool during strenuous work and warm weather. These vents can make the helmet more comfortable to wear.

Close-up Of The Slip Ratchet On EvoLite Helmet

Slip Ratchet Adjuster

This is a great cost-efficient way of adjusting helmets to fit securely to your head, ensuring the helmet stays in place.

Wheel Ratchet Adjuster

This premium adjuster is easier to use and offers greater granularity when adjusting the helmet, allowing you to fine-tune the fit.

Chin Strap

For those working at height or in areas where falls are a concern, a chin strap prevents the helmet from falling off during a fall. View all our helmets with chin straps.

JSP VistaShield Vented Helmet With Integrated Face Shield

Integrated Eyeware & Face Shields

These come with integrated eye protection. Having a helmet with a visor for face or eye protection means one less thing to keep track of when on site.

Ear Defender Mounts

Many of our helmets feature ear defender mounting points allowing you to attach ear defenders directly to your helmet. We include indications on product pages, so you know which ear defenders are compatible. View Hard Hats with ear defenders.

EvoLite Visipoint Air Reflective Stickers

Reflective Panels

Some of our helmets come with pre-applied reflective material. This added visibility is ideal for use on sites that operate after dark or for use by emergency services which often work at night. View our reflective hard hat range.

ID Badge Holder

This feature allows you to mount ID badges on your forehead securely, placing the badge in a prominent position where others can clearly see it.

Lightweight

A lightweight hard hat makes it more comfortable to wear for extended periods.

Micro Peak

A micro peak is ideal for riggers and those who work with cranes as they have to look up a lot in their role.

Full Brim

A full brim helmet has a ledge all around the circumference, allowing for a better runoff of fluids and offering shade from the sun.

Fabric Harness

Higher-end helmets feature a soft fabric harness that provides improved comfort.

Vertical Adjustment

Height adjustment clips on the harness ensure a snug fit on the user's head.

Sweatbands

On most of our helmets, you can change the sweatband once soiled for improved cleanliness and comfort.

Impact Resistant Liner

Many of our working at height helmets feature an internal liner that improves the impact resistance.

Commonly Asked Questions

Do Hard Hats Expire?

All compliant helmets should be stamped with their manufacturing date. All manufacturer's recommendations will differ. For example, JSP recommends a maximum storage and usage life of 10 years for their helmets, so long as they are not subject to any damage.

How Much Does A Hard Hat Weigh?

The weight of a hard hat differs between models. Each of our product pages will detail the weight. Lighter helmets are often more comfortable to wear for longer periods.

What are Hard Hats Made Of?

Manufacturers make hard hats from an array of materials. These are mostly plastics, including ABS and HDPE. Which materials they use will depend on the model of the helmet and its intended application.

Can You Put Stickers On Your Hard Hat?

Unless the manufacturer of the helmet supplies the sticker, then no. Some sticker adhesives may contain solvents that can weaken the shell, making it not conform.

Is a Hard Hat The Same As A Helmet?

Yes, they are both the same, although the term “hard hat” is seldom used for cycling and motorsport applications in the UK.

How Often Should Hard Hats Be Inspected?

Before every use, you should look for cracks, stress signs, or other damage. The harness is just as important as the shell; if this is damaged, you should consider ordering a replacement harness.

How Do You Adjust Your Hard Hat?

Each helmet on the market will have nuances about how it should be adjusted. All our product pages feature links or embedded guides, allowing you to easily find out how to fit your helmet for comfort and protection properly.

When should hard hats be replaced?

If your hard hat has any visible damage, such as a crack, tear in the harness or deep scuff, you should immediately replace it. You should also replace the helmet if it ever experiences an impact, as it may have caused damage you cannot see.

Helmet Related EN Standards

Several EN standards apply to safety helmets; please see our bump cap page for details of bump cap safety standards.

	Top Shock Absorption	Top Penetration	Side Shock Absorption	Side Penetration	Side Impact Flat Strike
EN14052	5Kg @ 2m (100 joules)	1Kg @ 2.5m (25 Joules)	5kg @ 1m (50 joules)	1kg @ 2m (20 joules)
EN12492	5Kg @ 2m (100 joules)	3kg @ 1m (29 joules)			5kg @ 50cm (25 joules)
EN397	5Kg @ 1m (50 joules)	3Kg @ 1m (29 Joules)
EN50365	Helmets that meet this standard are suited to use working with live electrical hazards up to 1000V.

Looking for Bump Caps

If you want to protect yourself from stationary objects, then a quality bump cap could be what you need.

Bump caps are excellent for protecting your head from bumps and scrapes caused by your movements, such as those experienced when getting in and out of vans and forklifts or working in areas with low-level obstructions.

They are not the proper solution for protecting yourself from falling or swinging objects; for these instances, you will need to use a safety helmet.

Need help finding the right product?

Give our trained sales team a call on +44 (0)1905 794875, they will help you in choosing a suitable system for your needs and will also be happy to discuss discounts for bulk quantity requirements and special delivery need.

Why buy from Start Safety?

We have the full range shown above in stock on the shelf ready to ship out next day, we offer special delivery services and can even arrange same day delivery on many products.