Bump Caps Vs Safety Helmet: When & Why You Should Use A Bump Cap?
What’s a bump cap?
A bump cap either looks like a baseball cap or like a hard hat made of thin plastic. Unlike a safety helmet It has a softer, more compact shell and normally features a sun visor.
However safety helmet is usually made from a high-grade, injection-molded plastic or fiberglass shell and a shock-absorbing, adjustable inner suspension ring. Safety helmets or Hard hats are mandatory on construction sites or anywhere where there is the danger of falling objects or moving items
Bump Cap Vs Safety Helmet
Bump caps are safety equipment that protect the wearer from minor head bumps and lacerations, but not from falling or flying objects. You should use safety bump caps when there is a risk of impact between the head and stationary objects such as low ceilings, the underside of a vehicle (for mechanics, especially) and overhead piping. Bump caps are more breathable and comfortable than safety helmets. They are also more stylish and lighter than safety helmets.
According to the requirements laid down in DIN EN 812 for industrial bump caps, they must be able to absorb impacts, be puncture-proof and ensure a low temperatures of down to -30°C, flames and an alternating voltage of up to 440 V.
Safety helmets which is also referred as hard hats on the other hand are an essential piece of PPE equipment. It is made of rigid material such as a polymer, metal or fibre
glass to protect the wearer when working in places where debris and falling objects cause a potential risk of head injury.
When it’s better to use a bump cap?
Bump caps are typically designed for people working in spaces where they might bump their head against low obstacles. Bump caps are preferred where it is the person and not the surface or object doing the moving. In other words, a bump cap is designed to protect against wearer-initiated motion, such as bumping your head against a wall or obstacle.
Bump caps are most often worn at assembly lines, in warehouses, when operating forklifts as well as in machinery and plant engineering. Many tradespeople, such as carpenters, joiners and painters, also wear these industrial caps during their work when there is no obligation to wear a helmet. Bump caps are also a favourite head protection in agriculture and abattoirs, as well as for railway or airport workers.
Another advantage of using a bump cap is that they also fit better when wearing additional equipment like a welder’s mask, working in confined spaces, or in non-vertical situations (such as lying flat on a surface) because they don’t require a chin strap to stay on.
A hard hat, on the other hand, is designed to protect against object-initiated motion, when an object moves toward a person and strikes them
How to select a bump cap?
While selecting a bump cap always opt for a bump cap with a brim. Look for a bump cap that provide good padding to avoid bruising, cutting, and, more importantly, the momentary disorientation that can occur at the moment of impact. Also you can look for a bump cap with a sweatband. A size adjustment strap is also essential while selecting a bump cap.
