You know that hard hats are required at work sites. Your crew knows they must wear their hard hats for their own safety. But chances are once your back -- or your foreman's back -- is turned, hats come off. Why? Hard hats can be very uncomfortable. They're cold in the winter and hot in the summer, and the one-size-fits-all approach usually results in safety hats sitting on the ground rather than on a worker's head.

So what to do? With a small investment on your part, you can increase hard hat compliance and decrease your liability. Here are three ways to boost hard hat use:

1. Break with tradition and use safety hats that don't look like safety hats.

2. Make hardhats comfortable with special inserts.

3. Customize your crew's hardhats to promote your business.

Action Steps
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Introduce hard hats that break the mold

The round yellow hard hat is familiar from a thousand cartoon images. But it's not the only option out there. How about cowboy hats, baseball caps, and motorcycle helmets that are all fully compliant with safety hat regulations?

I recommend: Scroll down the list of inventive hard hats, including cotton baseball caps with bump inserts, at TuffRhino.com. At All About Head Protection, you'll find innovative hard hats for sale including motorcycle helmets, camouflage, national flags, NASCAR, and NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA safety hats.

Make it easy to wear a safety hat in any weather

Hard hats can seem like primitive technology when the weather is hot or cold. In summer, plastic safety hats turn up the heat on workers' heads, and in winter their ears freeze. Luckily, there are higher-tech ways to cope than layers of bandannas.

I recommend: Go to Discount Safety Gear.com for winter liners, cool packs, removable/washable sweatbands, and shades. Explore Products offers a heated face mask that can be worn under a hard hat; its built-in pockets hold hand warmers that provide heat for 10 hours.

Mix safety and advertising with custom hard hats

While you're making the most of hard hats for your crew, why not promote your business, too? Putting your company logo on safety hats identifies your workers and advertises your business. When hard hats are less anonymous, they register with your workers as a necessary part of the uniform in more ways than one.

I recommend: At AGI Solutions you'll see many options for basic, no-frills hard hat decals. DeSIGNerySigns.com offers more colorful and artistic decals for your hard hats.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  About one-third of workplace impact injuries to the head happen when workers bump into a stationary object with no hard hat on. These injuries often occur inside buildings, where workers assume they are safe because there are no falling objects. Make sure your team wear their hard hats inside work site buildings at all times.

Federal rules require employers to ensure every employee wears protective head gear when working in an area where there is a possibility for head injury. Employees exposed to the possibility of electrical shock must wear hardhats made of non-conductive material. Hardhats are necessary when working on construction, warehousing, transportation and other jobs. They cover the head with a suspended cradle that holds the hat about an inch and a quarter from the head to cushion it from blows by falling objects or collisions.

Select hard hats according to types and classes:

1. Class A hardhats protect from falling objects and low voltage electrical hazards. Samples are proof-tested to withstand a 2,200 volt charge.
2. Class B hardhats reduce the impact of head blows and are rated for high voltage—up to 20,000 volts.
3. Class C safety hats offer no electrical protection, but do reduce the impact of blows to the head.

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Buy compliant hardhats

Ensure the hardhats you order have American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approval. Check the stamping inside the hat for approval, type and class rating.

I recommend: IndustrialSavings.com has ANSI compliant hard hats and for sale, or go to TuffRhino.com to view custom safety hats.

Keep extra hardhats and accessories

Purchase a variety of custom hard hats so that employees can pick one they like. Order extras to have on hand for visitors or for replacements. Be sure to buy accessories like hardhat liners, reflectors and other hardhat safety gear.

I recommend: DiscountSafetyGear.com for price and selection, plus prompt shipping. Hardhats4URSafety for their wide selection of colors and styles. For accessories go to ABCSafetyGlasses.com.

Provide required training

Train your employees on the use, care and replacement of their hats and accessories.

I recommend: The training and assessment guide at Hardhats4URSafety.com or get free technical support at LabSafety.com or by calling them toll-free: 800-356-2501 (6 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT, Monday to Friday).

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For visibility and cold weather comfort, get lights that attach to the outside of hardhats and liners for keeping the head and ears warm.

Hardhats are essential in many work environments. Saving money on this required expense can be as easy as comparing pricing options. Don't overspend on custom colors or designs if your hats aren't really going to help bring you extra business or be in the public eye. Most custom hard hats make sense as marketing tools only if the majority of your workforce is seen in the public eye. Instead, consider buying custom hats for management and others more visible than your crew may in the trenches or behind the scenes.

Save money by going with a plain hat that you can easily purchase in bulk. Consider the low cost colors and designs, and think about the longevity of the hat. Buying a low quality plastic hard hat with little comfort or support may not actually save you money in the long run. You may actually save money by buying the higher cost, tougher hat that lasts longer. Start saving money when you:

1. Research quality Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved hard hats.

2. Buy hats in bulk directly from hardhat makers and suppliers to save money.

3. Properly care for hats to promote longevity.

Action Steps
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Research types of hard hats to find out how much you really need to spend

Choose the right type so you aren't wasting money on a hat that is too expensive and doesn't meet your needs. Find out what type of hat OSHA requires for your circumstance. Class A hats are good for low voltage and falling objects. Class B hats are rated for high voltage and Class C hats provide head protection only with no electrical protection. You will obviously pay less for a Class C hat, but make sure your hard hats protect your workers and provide the proper safety standards before deciding on a specific class hardhat.

I recommend: Read the guide to hard hats at the Professional Equipment website. You can also follow the information provided by All About Head Protection.

Use comparison websites to find hard hats for sale in bulk

Saving money on hard hats can be easy if you find the right supplier or comparable website that offers pricing information for several namebrand hard hat manufacturers. Look for suppliers that offer bulk discounts if you need a large number of hard hats, and establish a good buying relationship with the supplier to make sure they are willing to stand by their products.

I recommend: Discount Safety Gear and Industrial Safety Gear are both hard hat suppliers that offer several brands, styles and safety class hard hats. They both enable buyers to consider discount options for larger purchases.

Take care of your hard hats to keep them in good working order

Make sure you care for your hard hats to avoid unnecessary replacement costs. Keep them clean, protect them from heat and cold whenever possible, and provide a safe storage environment for the hats when your workers aren't wearing them. Providing hard hat safety training for your entire organization is also a good way to save on hard hat costs in that it prevents improper wear and tear.

I recommend: For more information about caring for hard hats, read "Extend the Wear of Your Hard Hat" at the Hard Hats Blog. Use one of the Hard Hat Training Series options for proper hat safety and maintenance training for your employees. Pollardwater manufactures wall, window or seat mounts for hard hats that meet safety regulations for proper storage.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Hard hats can be affected by too much heat, so hanging them in the rear window of a vehicle or anywhere in direct sunlight for long periods is not recommended.

Hard hats are essential pieces of equipment used in industrial settings and in the construction industry. Standard on all job sites, hard hats are constructed from a variety of strong materials designed to protect the head and neck from trauma.

Whether you are a supplier of hard hats or work in an industry that requires the use of hard hats, familiarize yourself with hard hats key terms. They will provide a better understanding of hard hat construction and can ensure the safety of your employees or customers.

Action Steps
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Hard hat liners

A hard hat liner fits snugly inside a hard hat and is adjustable to fit the head size of the intended wearer. Hard hat liners are available to keep the head warm in the winter months and cool in the summer while providing added protection for the head and neck.

I recommend: TuffRhino.com offers examples of hard hat liners and a description of the benefits of hard hat liner use.

Cap hard hats

Cap hard hats have a brim in the front of the hard hat and are the most widely used hard hats on job sites. Cap hard hats can be made from aluminum, but are generally made of high-density polyethylene.

I recommend: Hard-hats.net provides more information on the types, styles and benefits of cap hard hats.

Full brimmed hard hats

Full brimmed hard hats have a brim around the entire hard hat that provides added protection to the face and neck.

I recommend: DiscountSafetyGear.com offers more information on full brimmed hard hats and examples of the various types and styles available.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the organization that sets, evaluates and enforces standards in industry. ANSI has set hard hat standards that must be met in specific industrial settings.

I recommend: Visit the official website of the American National Standards Institute for more information.

Bump cap

A bump cap is a lightweight hard hat used in industries that don't require ANSI-compliant head gear.

I recommend: MSA provides more information on bump caps and proper situations to use bump cap hard hats.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE)

High-density polyethylene, also called HDPE, is a type of plastic that is durable and strong. Most hard hats are made from HDPE.

I recommend: Azom.com provides information on the properties, advantages and disadvantages of HDPE.