Visiting a construction site means following certain rules that the contractor has set in place. One of these rules should be that a hard hat is always required, simply because there’s no way to assure anyone that there’s a zero percent chance of an injury occurring.
Hard hats protect the user from very serious and specific dangers, such as falling objects or contact with sharp objects. They’re made of fiberglass or thick plastic. Some hard hats are made to protect against electrical shock.
Why do visitors need hard hats?
It’s widely accepted that construction workers need to wear hard hats while they work, but some people seem to think that visitors to the site don’t need any head protection because they aren’t working. The truth is that visitors are often just as likely as workers to face a dangerous situation. Hard hats must be a non-negotiable requirement at construction sites for everyone, including visitors. If they won’t put the hard hat on, they can’t continue on the site.
For example, the visitor could be walking through a new room being built in a home. While they’re walking, someone the floor above them could drop a piece of wood or a wrench. The hard hat could provide valuable protection against the visitor being struck in the head because the object wouldn’t avoid the person just because they’re a visitor.
Any construction company or property owner who learns that they’re being sued because of a visitor’s injury should explore their options to defend against the claims being made. It’s best to do this quickly after learning of the injury so you don’t have to try to rush the defense strategy. Working with someone familiar with these situations is beneficial so you can work to protect your company.