Can hard hats be painted?
A. ANSI Z89.1-2003 Appendix A4 states that caution should be exercised when painting hard hat shells since some paints and thinners may attack and damage the shell and reduce protection levels. The hard hat manufacturer should be consulted before painting. Q. Can I wear my hard hat backward? A. Most likely. Check the helmet for the “reverse donning arrow” marking. The current 2009 edition addresses the issues of reverse wearing of hard hats. The standard now provides a non-mandatory test protocol that will allow manufacturers of hard hats to test the helmet and be marked with the “reverse donning arrow”. This means the helmet can be worn frontward or backward in accordance with the manufacturer’s wearing instructions. Sources for More Information Hazard Assessment Form OSHA 29 CFR 1910.135, Occupational Head Protection Standard ANSI Z89.1-2009, American National Standard for Personal Protection Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers ANSI Z89.1-2003, American National Standard for P
