Hard Hat Colour Codes | What To Wear In Different Situations

Posted on 06/09/22

hard-hat-colours

Safety is paramount within any working environment, but it’s especially crucial within the trade industry – both on and off the construction site. Covered by the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations (1992), PPE is a requirement for many settings, with head protection being an essential piece of equipment. 

Hard hats, part of the head protection range, ensure further protection is in place within such a high-risk area, such as from falling debris or dropped tools. With hard hats available in so many different colours, it can be confusing to understand which colour is most suitable to which circumstances. Here is all the information you need regarding hard hat colour codes, so you can keep yourself and fellow workers safe.  

Why Are Hard Hats Necessary? 

Construction sites are busy and hectic work environments where both workers and visitors are vulnerable to accidents. Risk assessments can be carried out in order to identify possible hazards within the area, as well as the ways in which these can be reduced. In order to be compliant with PPE safety standards and regulations, employers are required to provide hard hats to any employees who are at risk of head injuries within their role. 

While there are multiple hazards possible, hard hats will in particular protect against flying or falling objects that could cause serious injury. Hard hats also help protect against accidental forceful hits against fixed objects or equipment, which can be a common occurrence due to the amount of climbing and lifting that needs to be carried out day to day. 

Alongside this penetration resistance, many hard hats have been specifically designed to be fire resistant, too, as well as being water resistant. This is beneficial to those working in harsh weather conditions outside. It is important that employers are not only supplying hats to help avoid these hazards, but that they are also providing training on the appropriate way to wear hard hats safely. 

Workers, and visitors, should be made aware of how to adjust the hats to ensure they fit comfortably and effectively, as well as being made aware of how to replace and adjust the headband and suspension (if necessary). 

Why Do Hard Hats Require Colour Codes?

Colour coded hard hats enable all workers, no matter their department, who work on construction sites to be aware of each person’s role and position within the company. This can lead to employers being easier and quicker to identify, as well as increasing safety, too. While many within the trade industry are well aware of the dangers and hazards that they may face throughout the day due to training and experience, visitors may not be as well equipped with this knowledge.

Colour coded hard hats ensure visitors can be easily identified and kept as safe as possible while on site. Blue hats, for example, are given to those visiting the workspace temporarily – a bright and bold colour to indicate this role within the setting. 

Hard Hat Colours and What They Mean

Since Build UK proposed their new colour coding system for hard hats in 2016, the company’s member sites have followed suit in implementing the same regulations. Build UK is one of the top leading representative organisations for the construction industry in the UK and have therefore encouraged many more within the industry to follow a colour scheme, too. The codes don’t only encourage and support health and safety protocols, but can also provide structure to staffing measures, with each colour representing specific roles and statuses within the workforce. Here are the hard hat colours and what they mean. 

White hard hats: White hard hats represent the role of site managers, vehicle marshals and competent operatives. 

Black hard hats: On the construction site, black hard hats represent only one role, and that is of the site supervisors. 

Orange hard hats: Slingers and signallers are those who are required to wear orange hard hats on site. 

Blue hard hats: For all others who are working on site, and who do not fall into a specific category listed above, they are required to wear blue hard hats. This also includes any visitors on site, too. 

 

Some workers undertaking multiple roles may also choose to add additional stickers or labels on their hard hats – for example, first aiders will often be required to wear green first aider stickers on theirs to clearly show their responsibility. Likewise, fire marshals will often be required to wear red fire marshal stickers on their hard hats. Coloured high-visibility vests can also be worn by workers within the construction industry to distinguish between different roles. All of this, along with regular assessments, can help to keep the team and visitors as safe as possible in such a busy and hazardous space. 

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