Construction site accidents and the hard hat

The humble hard hat is so common as to be visual shorthand for a building site, perhaps because they are known to work. The UK's Health and Safety Executive has figures relating to construction site accidents that shows them to be items of safety equipment that have one of the best ratios of cost to lives saved.

Most models follow a similar structure, having a set of straps or webbing within a hard shell, giving a dual protection against personal injury from falling objects and other building site risks. The hard structure gives a firm boundary to repel impacts, and the webbing provides a kind of suspension that allows approximately 3 centimetres of 'give' to distribute any impact's force as widely as possible.

Early models were made of metal, with later ones using fibreglass or plastics. High-density polyethylene is the most frequently used material in modern hard hats, as it is durable, easily shaped, and can be stained different colours to match company livery or show levels of responsibility on a construction site.

The invention of the hard hat has been credited to Franz Kafka, the Bohemian writer of 'Metamorphosis'. He received a medal in 1912 for greatly reducing the numbers of construction injury deaths in Bohemian steel mills. Modern versions have been reimagined with company logos and even novelty shapes such as cowboy hats.

Whatever choices a construction company makes regarding styles and colours, their risk assessment should make it clear where the risk of construction injury requires people to wear hard hats, and their management procedures should ensure that this requirement is followed. Failure to do so may lead to the construction company being held liable.

Finding a personal injury solicitor after a construction site accident
If you have suffered a personal injury in a building site accident, you may be eligible to make a compensation claim. YouClaim, as UK experts in this field, are a good place to find out whether you qualify or not.

Our skilled advisors can discuss the details of your case, for free and in plain English, without any commitment on your part. If you do have a strong case, we can also help you find the best personal injury lawyer to take your claim forward on an entirely free basis, win or lose.

Not only do we offer a no win, no fee agreement, but we go further, protecting you from costs and charging our fee in a won case to the opposition. You stand to receive 100% compensation, with no risk of charges or costs.

Our entire panel is governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for your confidence.

Contact us today, through our echat, our claim form, or our UK hotline 0800 10 757 95. We will strive to help your construction site accident claim to its best conclusion.