Hard Hats ‘Recommended’ for Forklift Operators

Hard hats are one of those controversial workplace safety features that are a constant source of contention between workers and management.

Some workers, including a lot of forklift operators, don’t like to wear hard hats on the job because they say they can make it difficult to see, inhibits their peripheral vision, or simply make them too uncomfortably hot.

All over the US, dock and warehouse managers are fighting the “hard hat battle” every day in their workplace. Forcing reluctant drivers to do something they don’t want to do can be frustrating and tiresome. It can create hard feelings on both sides and distract organizations from more productive endeavors.

So are forklift operators really required to wear hard hats in the first place? The answer may surprise you.

OSHA’s Official Position

As most forklift managers know, the federal agency responsible for regulating forklifts in the workplace is the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the US Department of Labor.

In 1976, OSHA ruled on the issue of the use of hard hats in the workplace. The ruling, which came in response to an inquiry from Donald P. Johnson, an operations manager for Aling and Cory, of Utica, New York, stated the following:

“In considering the use of hard hats in a warehouse, it is recommended that the employees be provided with such head protection. Those employees engaged in driving forklift trucks are reasonably protected from large bundles falling down from overhead by the rack of a forklift truck, but they do not have any protection against small heavy objects which might fall. Also, any employee walking down the aisles, or the truck operator having stepped off his vehicle will provide an opportunity for falling objects to strike the employees. Therefore, in these instances, as in all cases where a hazard might exist, it is advisable to provide and to enforce the use of head protective devices. Head protective devices need not be worn where the employees are not exposed to overhead hazards, such as when they go to the office or to other areas where there is no opportunity to be struck by falling objects.”

Binding Legal Precedent

This ruling, which is now more than 40 years old, stands as OSHA’s official position on the use of hard hats by forklift drivers.

While companies are not legally required to force operators to wear them, hard hats are “recommended” when there is a potential danger of being struck by falling objects. They don’t need to be worn where there is no reasonable threat of injury.

Hopefully, that clears things up for forklift managers, business owners, and lift truck operators everywhere. While the “hard hat battle” is likely to continue, at least you now know what the law states.