Hard Hats

[Hendo]

So, Im another year older, and I have this fascination of getting a new, slick hat to plaster Monster and Ready Mix stickers on. You know what I mean.. Might be rolling in the damn mud, but the mandatory accessories gotta show that your one fly motherfucker! The 3m Lowes job has got to go, but its hard to validate a $100 for a MSA carbon brain bucket. Any of you jokers have experience with one of these fine pieces of jobsite vanity, or will it give the vatos an excuse when they're checking out my culo? Hahaha

 

[Trapshooter12]

The MSA hat is called a Bridge Hat by Union IronWorkers mine has lasted 20 years. The most sought after Bridge hat has an AB on it for American Bridge company.

Miners stoled the idea and put a damned light on it.

 

[pyplynr]

I just wear the same ol white plastic msa full brim on the pipeline everyday. I've seen other guys wearing the brown carbon fiber looking ones. Just don't see the point in spending the extra cash on the looks. I hate wearing the one I gotta wear. If it made them super lightweight I could see spending the extra dough.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

Plain ol full brim Bullard for me. The company (local utility) provides us three types, but I prefer the full brim to the regular hard hats the other two choices are. Other than my name, my family brand, a smart grid device sticker and the reflective tape of the company name it is plain. Scars tell a better story anyway. Well, it has a miners light on it too....

 

[MarkinAZ]

Got a plain brimmed white one with one difference; it is a level II with the side impact rating. We looked at several but these have a hard foam insert similar to what you find on a cyclist helmet. The weight is negligible but after wearing one in the Arizona sun, I am sold on these. That foam liner acts as a thermal barrier also and it actually feels comfortable wearing it.

The full brimmed versions have a six point suspension whereas the standard brim use only a four point suspension.

The (steel fabrication) shop wears blue, management (me) wears white, and visitors wear red. The red stands out pretty good and the shop knows to give them wide berth as they shouldn't be there when these guys are working, but.....

I have worn all kinds, both plain and full brimmed and in various colors, but this current model (no, I cannot remember the brand name) is one of the best......other than my firefighting helmet from years back. Made by Cairns and being polycarbonate, it saved my bacon on many an occasion. I am a firm believer in these so that everyone can go home to their loved ones every day.

Keep 'em clean and in good repair. It pays long term dividends even if you don't like wearing them.

 

[MarshalTex]

Not to hijack yalls thread. But while your here I am starting a hydrographics company and have seriously considered hard hats a cool way to utilize one end of a market. Would yall go for say a carbon fiber over a reflective neon? Or even some sort of camo or gosts?

I am questioning because if a personalized hard hat screams d-bag I wouldnt pursue. Lol

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[SledDog]

FWIW you can paint your hardhat but not put stickers on it unless they are see-through.

 

[GrantA]

I don't wear one often, mine is a basic model. My dad wears one all the time, always full-brim. He has always worn the plastic ones but a couple years ago he picked up a carbon fiber one, full brim, not realizing what it cost from the local supply house. He got the bill and just about flipped out but said ultimately it's worth it since he wears it so much- he says the weight difference is noticeable when wearing it all day on a jobsite

 

[MarshalTex]

Sled I have seen oil field hats with three layers of stickers lol. Like a freakin collage.

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[coldboremiracle]

FWIW you can paint your hardhat but not put stickers on it unless they are see-through.

You sure about that? Cuz if so, I'ma bust out the airbrush, get some practice in.

 

[Hendo]

I must have missed that in the OSHA lectures Almost every contractor we pour for, has a manditory safety briefing, you are given a sticker with a number that is in corrilation with your name. You are REQUIRED to have that patch on your hat within the site. Anyways long story short.. they are not see-through.. At least in the commercial construction side.

 

[Weaselthis]

I've been out of the TX oilfields for many years now, (Taggart Well Service at 14, Loffland Bros. Drilling Co. Master Derrickman till 25, and then IMCO Services/Western Mud drilling fluids engineer til 42)but for 28 years (1964-1992) I wore the same aluminum, full brim, 6pt. leather headband hat my old man wore for I don't know how many years before he died and I got it. It had so many layers of stickers you could barely tell it was aluminum. One of my favorite says, "Please don't tell my mama I work in the oilfield. She thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse". Had DILLIGAF sticker back in the late sixties. It ain't new. Had a 4" bluey line valve pop off 10' above my head and put a helluva gash in it and give me a helluva headache. Roadmaps...... Still have the hat. Will pass it along to my grandkids to remind them of a time when hard work, sweat, and oil soaked clothes were a part of life. Lots of memories in that hat. When I showed up for my first day in the oilfields at Taggart Well Service at 14, Pat Ramsey, the owner and family friend, saw my old man's hat (he died that year} and said, "Hell, son, you could've just sent the hard hat. It would've got the job done". Old man had a rep...... This thread's bringing back some memories....

 

[SledDog]

I must have missed that in the OSHA lectures Almost every contractor we pour for, has a manditory safety briefing, you are given a sticker with a number that is in corrilation with your name. You are REQUIRED to have that patch on your hat within the site. Anyways long story short.. they are not see-through.. At least in the commercial construction side.

An OSHA class I took taught nothing could go on a hard hat that could hide any damage to the hat. So paint is fine but stickers you can't see through are a no no. I specifically asked. Maybe it was an interpretation by the instructor?

 

[Nac]

I lost my carbon hard had over 10 years ago but I still have my original hard hat my dad gave me 20 years ago when I first got in the union. Its been painted and has a few stickers on it.

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[Speedgoat]

Just got a full brim aluminum one. It's getting a few dents in it and a lot if scratches. Mostly from getting thrown at people, usually in good spirited fun only!

 

[BigJW]

I still wear the same old beat up C/F that I have had for years. It's been with me thru 14 countries, every state in the US, and I don't care if someone calls me "Vain" for wearing a Hard Hat that costs over $100. It's past it's "OSHA" life but I still wear it. It's got allot of miles on it and I have grown fond of having it around. It has many layers of stickers from many pipeline companies, and from plants that are scattered all over. I've had it since 1994 when I started in the plants. It saved my life a couple times. I Pipeline Welder now, so I don't think anyone will give me any problems about it being too old.

 

[corey4]

FWIW you can paint your hardhat but not put stickers on it unless they are see-through.

yeah, but everytime you get a new qualification they give you a fucking hard hat sticker that you are not supposed to put on your hard hat.

 

[corey4]

these are the ones i buy for my guys. add hearing protection, and they price jumps to $180, so $100 isn't bad. i buy them a new one every year.

KASK SUPER PLASMA HI-VIZ

 

[Hendo]

Never would have thought that a hat could carry so many stories.. Personally, Ive never seen OSHA go after PPE, unless it isn't being worn though. Hell corey, we're in the business of putting $500k+ on the ground daily, and are hard pressed to recieve a Co. Tshirt.. let alone something snazzy like that!

 

[corey4]

i have heard of OSHA going thru the PPE when something horrible goes wrong; death, serious injury, serious property damage, etc. they will come out, cut all of your lines (ropes) to check the date codes, check all of your climbing gear. if your lines are "defective", then you are in serious shit. defective; glazed lines, lines with cut strands, and the list goes on. anything older than 5 years has to be destroyed and cannot be resold on the second hand market. there is a chain of custody (i think that is what it is called), and if you sell an old beat up saddle and some one dies, you are held liable, if they can prove the equipment was yours. even within the same company, climbers are not aloud to share saddles, lines, PPE, etc.

$500K a day? damn, what industry? logging?

 

[Hendo]

Ha, definately meant 50,000.. concrete

 

[pyplynr]

LOL At least you can see your work. My work has 4 to 5 feet of dirt on top of it.

 

[Hendo]

Pipe fitter?

 

[pyplynr]

Pipeliner. Well, I was. Now I'm the inspector. I used to run excavators, dozers, and do a little bit of foreman work.

 

[BigJW]

Pipeliner. Well, I was. Now I'm the inspector. I used to run excavators, dozers, and do a little bit of foreman work.

Well I'm just an old Welder, but it is nice to see that I'm not alone in here. Pipeliners aren't something you just run across every day.

 

[dang472]

The only thing I was told about hard hat stickers was that they needed to be approved for use on a hard hat because some stickers use glue that can weaken the plastic over time. All of our company and union identification stickers are approved for hard hat use. I'm an Operating Engineer for a pipeline and gas distribution company so I at least give you pipeliners a ditch to drop that pipe into.

 

[BigJW]

I'm an Operating Engineer for a pipeline and gas distribution company so I at least give you pipeliners a ditch to drop that pipe into.

As long as the bell hole's right you won't hear any crap from me.

 

[dang472]

Ah come on, they are never big enough or dry enough for you Fitters/Welders!

 

[Switchblade]

I never got into the decal thing with my hardhat when I wore it. Welder helmet, well, lets just say quite a few old school punk bands are repped on it, but th enew one is all USA red white and blue flames with a fast action face plate.
No use for a hardhat, but these are what I liked(or one like it)

Pyramex Full Brim Hard Hats - With 6 Point Ratchet Suspension: IndustrialSafetyGear.com

Started off with basic white, put down a good layer of primer, then metal flake, then one year it was red, another blue, did hot rod flames for a bit on shined black. No decals, just straight kick ass paint. Fucker looks hellagood day one, after that, well shit, it was a hardhat, got beat up