Rant: Hard hat vs bump cap on the job site

I've been wearing a standard hard hat for 15 years on river dredges, but the crew foreman insisted we switch to these lightweight bump caps last month. First week in, a 2-inch bolt dropped from the crane and split one clean in half - luckily nobody was under it. Has anyone else had bad luck with bump caps holding up to real hazards?

2 comments

2 Comments

walker.max15d ago

Bull crap, that bolt would have split a hard hat just as easy if it dropped from that height. I've seen regular hard hats get cracked by way less than a bolt falling from a crane. The real problem is your foreman buying the cheapest bump caps on the market instead of decent ones with proper impact ratings. Bump caps are meant for bumping your head on low pipes and beams, not for overhead crane work. You don't use the wrong tool for the job and then blame the tool.

jesse_fisher15d ago

Yeah I feel you on this one, bump caps just dont seem the same as a real hard hat for serious overhead stuff. Sounds like your foreman didnt match the gear to the actual risks on the job, which is a bummer. Hope you can push for the right protection going forward, cause that kind of close call is no joke.