ANSI Hard Hat Standards

Protective headgear is required by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for all people working in environments presenting a risk of injuries from falling objects and electrical shock, according to ProfessionalEquipment.com.

Standard

• Hard hat requirements are set out in 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.135 and 1926.00. OSHA guidelines refer to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-1986 as the minimum testing requirement for hard hat protection.

Types

• The ANSI Z89.1 standard divides hard hats into three types, classes A, B and C. According to LabSafety.com, Class A hard hats are designed to reduce the impact of falling objects and protect the wearer from low voltage electrical injuries, tested up to 2,200 volts. Class B also protects from falling objects and from high voltage electricity, tested up to 20,000 volts. Class C hard hats offer protection from falling objects, but offer no electrical protection.

Testing

• LabSafety.com reports that all hard hats conforming to ANSI standards are tested for impact protection, water absorption and flammability resistance. Hard hats meeting ANSI standards must be labeled with the manufacturers name and the ANSI standard and class reached.