Wearing safety hard hats is necessary in many industries, especially on construction sites, as the risk of head injury can be extremely high – even with all the necessary control measures in place. The fragile nature of the head also means that head injuries can have long-lasting, and even fatal consequences.
It is therefore vital that everyone understands the requirements surrounding hardhats, including colour coding.
There are two main reasons why it is important to implement the Safety Hard Hat Colour Code system in the workplace: speed and safety. While it may seem like a stylistic choice, the colour of the hard hat can communicate a lot about who is responsible on a job site, or what their role is. Additionally, it can also provide an added layer of safety depending on the type of site an individual is working in.
What are the Different Hard Hat Colours?
There are several hard hat colours that a person may see when they are either in a workplace like a construction site, oil, and gas onshore or offshore project site or any other high-risk industry where there is a significant risk of an accident.
The following are some hard hat colours and what they mean, although they may differ slightly from one organisation to the other.
White Hard Hat – The colour white is one of the easiest colours for the human eye to see. This makes it quick to notice, even amidst a sea of other hard hats, so this colour is commonly used by supervisors, managers, architects, and engineers. This way, if a worker or visitor is looking for someone responsible, they're much easier to spot amongst all the other workers.
Green Hard Hat – Green is a colour that is commonly linked to safety, so it stands to reason that safety inspectors will frequently wear green helmets. However, there are times when green hard hats signify that the worker is new on the construction site.
Yellow Hard Hat – This is often worn by workers such as labourers, landscapers and heavy equipment operators, as there is generally no special designation for yellow hard hats.
Blue Hard Hat – Blue is a colour usually associated with medicine. Temporary workers can also be seen wearing them in some firms.
Orange Hard Hat – Generally, road construction workers wear orange hard hats. Orange is highly visible, even at long distances, making it easier for oncoming traffic to spot and slow down for workers. Traffic marshals and lifting operators also wear orange hard hats.
Safety hard hats have become one of the most crucial protective equipment in many industries.
Colour-coding for hard hats has also been a good practice that prevents chaos in worksites and ensures ease of work for both the employers and the employees. Knowing these codes will help you choose the type and colour of the hard hat to buy. For a wide selection of safety hard hats, visit our website at https://www.southland.com.au/