Safety Vests and Hard Hats

Ooo I should also do a review of kevlar flak vests / bulletproof vests... That would be fun!

Although to be fair I have no idea where to buy bullet proof vests... Online I guess. Anywho, that is off topic.

But I do know where to buy safety vests and hard hats... Both good when working around heavy machinery or operating industrial tools where visibility and head protection are a factor. (I once hit my head on an industrial sheer when I was digging pieces of metal out of the back - ogawd I wish I had been wearing a hard hat at the time.)

For those that don't know a safety vest (aka, a high visibility vest or jacket) is typically orange and sometimes has yellow reflective strips on them to make them more easy to spot. Like the image below.

 There really is nothing special about such vests. They have pockets... ooo... pocketses! My precious!

And they're designed to go over top of your other clothing.

The same thing goes with hard hats - if they are SA Approved that is all you really need to know.

All of my steel-toed boots that I've been buying since the age of 18 have been SA Approved (although to be fair I have yet to find a pair of safety boots that are NOT SA Approved - possibly because the places I shop at make sure that all the safety boots they sell are approved).

The real issue with hard hats is finding one that fits you properly.

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR HARD HAT FITS PROPERLY

Suspensions

The inside of a hard hat has a harness of suspensions into which your head fits (OR should fit, if its the correct size). The suspensions create a gap between the head and the top of the hat where an impact can occur. Hard hats utilize either a four-or six-point suspension system and are usually adjustable. To adjust a hard hat so it properly fits you, adjust the suspensions. Pull on the suspensions to make them tighter if you have a smaller head, or loosen the suspensions to make more room if you need it. You want the hat to fit snugly so it doesn't fall off, but you also don't want to make it so tight that it causes discomfort and headaches.

Chin Straps

Some hard hats also come with chinstraps connected to the inner sides of the hat. You can adjust the chin straps so they are the proper length to fit snugly around your chin. This type of additional support provides extra security for your head when you are working in unusual conditions, such as windy environments, extreme heights or underground tunnels.