Hard Hats - Glossary of Terms

 Texas America Safety Company
Hard Hats
Terms You Should Know
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Accessory Slots/Slotted hard Hats:
A slot on the sides of many cap-style hard hats, allowing accessories such as face shields, ear muffs and other headgear

Bump Caps:
These caps offer light protection but DO NOT protect against blows to the top or side of the head or impact.

Cap-style Hard Hat:
Hard hat with a bill in the front – most common type of hard hat. The design is similar to a baseball cap.

Full-brim Hard Hat:
Hard hat with brim that wraps completely around the hat which helps to cover ears and neck from the sun and other elements.

Pin-lock Suspension:
A type of suspension which attaches to the user's head with locking mechanism, much as a man's belt. The most economical type of suspension. All hard hats come with either this suspension or the ratchet suspension below.

Ratchet Suspension:
A type of suspension with a quick ratchet adjusting knob which tightens or loosens the hard hat with a simple turn of the knob. More efficient because the pin-lock suspension must be removed to be adjusted.

Stanz-On Suspension:
MSA's version of the pin-lock suspensions

Fas-Trac Suspension:
MSA's version of the ratchet suspension

Four Point Suspension/Six Point Suspension:
The actual number of clips that mount the cradle suspension to the shell of the hard hat

V-Guard Hard Hat:
An MSA hard hat which offers additional protection to the top of the hard hat with a large embossed “V” designed into the shell. Many other manufacturers have a version of the “V-Guard.”

MSA (Mine Safety Appliances):
The name of the largest manufacturer of hard hats

Polyethylene Plastic:
The hard plastic material used for most hard hat shells. Hard hats are also available in a fiberglass shell. Because it is a non-stock item, it can take a little time to receive.

ANSI Z87.1 – 1997:
The industry standard which changed designations for the three electrical protection classes that apply to both Type 1 and Type II hard hats. Testing requirements remain the same as previous standards.

Type I Hard Hat:
Intended to reduce the force of impact from a blow to the top of the head

Type II Hard Hat:
Designed to provide protection from both blows to the top of the head and side impacts. Locations in the workplace which require Type II hard hat protection will be determined by the company Safety Management.

Classifications under old and new standards:
Z89.1 - 1986
(Old Standard)
Z89.1 - 1997
(New Standard)
Application Test Voltage
A G General 2,200 Volts
B E Electrical 20,000 Volts
C C Conductive Not Tested
Hat Size Conversion Table
Inches
Around
Head
USA Canada Metric
20 6 1/2 51 cm
20 1/2 6 5/8 52 cm
21 6 3/4 53 cm
21 1/2 6 7/8 55 cm
22 7 56 cm
22 1/2 7 1/8 57 cm
23 7 1/4 58 cm
23 1/2 7 3/8 59 cm
24 7 1/2 61 cm
24 1/2 7 5/8 62 cm
25 7 3/4 63 cm
25 1/2 7 7/8 65 cm
26 8 66 cm

Texas America Safety Company
  4400 Danhil Drive
  Brownwood, TX 76801
 
  Toll Free 1-800-646-5346
  Outside US 1-325-646-5346
  Local 325-646-5346
  Fax 1-325-646-3790
sales@tasco-safety.com