By Hans Stacey 16/02/2024

Under: PPE and Workwear / Health and Safety News

Safety First: Is Wearing a Winter Hat or Hoodie under your Hard Hat safe?

When working outside on a construction site in cold weather, especially during the winter months, keeping warm is crucial. A worker might even consider adding a thick winter hat under their hard hats or pulling up the hood on their hoodies for extra warmth. However, before making this decision, it’s vital to ensure that you are not compromising the effectiveness of your PPE safety helmet by adding those extra layers to keep your heads warm. 

A thick winter hat or hoodie could interfere with how your safety helmet fits.

A safety helmet should be worn pointing to the front and firmly placed on your head. The safety harness must not be twisted or loose. If you wear a thick winter hat or hoodie under your hard hat, it will prevent the harness from fitting securely, thus reducing the effectiveness in protecting your head.

It can increase the risk of accidents.

When wearing a thick winter hat or hoodie under your safety helmet, the space created between your head and the hard hat will decrease stability. The hard hat could potentially shift or slip during movement or on impact, which could affect your fields of vision and increase the risk of a potential accident to the construction worker.

It might violate the UK Safety Regulation.

Wearing unauthorised winter hats, hoodies and accessories under your hard hat or safety helmet might violate the safety regulations set by your employer. To ensure you are safety compliant, a worker should instead seek out compatible options such as manufacturer approved head or helmet warmers and liners as a safe alternative.

Advice from the Health and Safety Executive on head protection.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), all construction sites should ensure all workers are provided with, and wear suitable head protection. Head protection should therefore be:

• In good condition. If damaged the hard hat or safety helmet must be thrown away
• Fit correctly and be worn properly
• Not prevent the worker from wearing hearing protectors if required
• Only be purchased from a reputable supplier

Visit HSE for general advice on PPE and head protection.

In conclusion, to stay safe and HSE compliant on site, it is recommended that a construction worker should only wear manufacturer approved head or helmet warmers and liners under their hard hats or safety helmets during colder weather. Wearing a thicker winter hat or a hoody can interfere with the effectiveness of your safety PPE.

Stay safe on site and view our complete range of head protection gear.