USE YOUR HEAD

[Music] [Applause] these men work in the important fast-moving and sometimes dangerous job of construction you are part of this industry so you know what it takes you've got to be hit you've got to have muscle but these alone are not enough because there is the one vital nerve center which controls the body and that is the brain without the brain there can be no coordination no control the brain is the most incredible most complex computer it is also the smallest except for the bony protective skull it is highly vulnerable to injury the skull acts in the same way as the shell of an egg it protects what is inside and it does the job well under most conditions however if there is even a slight blow to the shell it can fracture a man can die from a fractured skull or become as helpless as a vegetable a more severe head blow leaves no doubt as to the results for the unprotected skull can smash just like an egg it is vitally important to protect your head where your hard hat the modern hard hat is especially designed to protect the skull but protective head wear isn't new it goes back many hundreds of years worn by fighting men men of action men in danger sometimes it was ornate sometimes impressive but always functional the helmet served its purpose while the construction site is not a battlefield the reason for wearing a hard hat remains the same as the helmet to protect the head and the brain a hard hat can prevent a minor head injury or it can save a man from death a bolt carelessly dropped from a height has the same impact as a bullet from a gun here are other examples of hard hats on the job each one demonstrates an accident which actually happened a man rounding a corner saved from a painful blow by his heart hat a man struck by steel rods saved from injury by his hard hat a falling brick and a man saved from a serious injury perhaps death by his hard hat a hard hat can prevent or reduce injury because of its construction basically the hard hat is made up of two units the shell and the suspension unit the shell on its own provides protection from penetration only but with the woven suspension cradle in place the whole unit is able to absorb the energy from a sudden impact and thus helps prevent a skull fracture or a broken neck let's see how this works first we have the shell the suspension unit is attached inside the shell at four points when a blow falls onto the hard hat the impact is transmitted over the surface of the hat forcing it downward now let's look again at the hard hat at the moment of impact the elasticity of the suspension unit absorbs most of the energy as it is forced towards the roof of the hard hat after it has absorbed the blow the suspension unit returns to its normal this is an official test bed designed to test the protective qualities of hard hats an eight pound steel ball held up by an electromagnet is released and drops five feet onto the hard hat and the results are noted for comparison let's see what happens when a coconut is subjected to the test now let's look again at the hard hat at the moment of impact the steel ball which smashed the coconut made no visible impression on the hard hat but as we have seen the shock absorbent qualities of the suspension unit are of vital importance it is the suspension unit which absorbs the violent downward pressure for this reason it must be adjusted to fit properly hard hats used by the construction industry are classified as a and B class-a affords protection against impact and flying particles and is tested to withstand voltages of up to 2200 volts Class B gives the identical protection as a and is tested to withstand voltages of up to 20,000 volts a hat which was originally classed as a or B becomes reclassified as see if accessories are mounted on it by drilling holes Class C is unacceptable in the construction industry because a hat with holes offers no electrical protection and the holes also reduce the ability of the hat to cushion impact it is unnecessary to drill holes in a hat to attach accessories there are all kinds of special attachments on the market which can be applied to the hardhat in the proper way without drilling holes now you know how much the hardhat has going for you if you wear it properly make sure that the nape strap is correctly adjusted so as to fit firmly a hardhat which falls or is blown off is not protecting you and is a hazard to those working below your chin strap can prevent this happening look after your hardhat if you take care of it it will take care of you keep it clean perspiration can deteriorate the woven suspension unit material wash it and the shell in lukewarm water and soak the woven suspension unit should be replaced every year a damaged hat has served its purpose and has lost some of its protective qualities a hardhat should be replaced every five years even if it is undamaged hats should never be painted solvents in the paint can weaken the shell material remember holes drilled in the shell can weaken or destroy the hats protective ability this is a bad practice undue weight on the shell can cause spreading and weakening this is the only place for your hard hat certainly not here this hard hat can become a flying missile in the event of a sudden stop your hard hat can be your life insurance wearing it can mean the difference between being in the picture or out of it stay in the picture wear your hard hat [Music]