Safety helmet or hard hat, which do you need?
The two words are used interchangeably on site, but they describe two different standards of protection.
A traditional hard hat is designed to protect against objects falling from above. It has a brim, a simple harness and usually no chin strap, and it is intended to stay on a worker standing on the ground.
A safety helmet for work at height is designed to protect the head in a fall, including impacts from the side, front and rear. It uses a four point chin strap that will not release under load, a closer fitting shell and a retention system that keeps the helmet in position while the wearer is inverted. It is the required head protection wherever a worker can fall, and it is what the KASK and Skylotec helmets on this page are.
If the work involves a harness, a ladder above three metres, a roof, a tower or a rope, the answer is a safety helmet with a chin strap. If the work is at ground level under an overhead risk, a standard hard hat will do.
Choosing a safety helmet for work at height
Three things decide the choice.
Vented or unvented. A vented shell is cooler and is the usual choice for rope access, roofing and general height work in Australian conditions. An unvented shell is required for electrical work, where any opening is a risk, and gives better protection against splash and molten metal.
Electrical rating. If there is any chance of contact with a live conductor, the helmet must be electrically rated. The Skylotec Inceptor GRX High Voltage is the rated option in this range.
Visibility. High visibility shells and reflective options are worth specifying for night work, traffic management, and any site where a worker needs to be seen from above. Both the Kask Zenith X and the Skylotec Inceptor GRX are available in high visibility.
Fit matters more on a height safety helmet than on a hard hat, because the retention system only works if the helmet is snug before the chin strap is done up. Check the head circumference range before ordering, and note that the range varies by model, from 52cm to 63cm on the KASK Zenith X and Zenith X Air and 54cm to 63cm on the Skylotec Inceptor GRX.
Chin straps, visors and earmuffs
Helmets in this range take a standard accessory mount, so the same helmet can carry a face visor, a mesh visor, clip on earmuffs, a headlamp and a sun brim.
Chin straps are replaceable and are a wear item. The Skylotec CHIN-X 250 and CHIN-X 500 fit the Inceptor GRX range and are worth holding as a spare, because a frayed or stretched strap fails the same inspection the helmet does.
Visors come as half face for eye protection and full face where there is a splash, arc or debris risk, with a mesh option for brush and vegetation work. Clip on earmuffs mount to the helmet rather than the head, which keeps hearing protection in place under a hard hat and removes the fit conflict between the two.
Electrical and high voltage helmets
An electrically rated helmet has an unvented shell and is tested to withstand contact with a live conductor. Standard vented helmets, including every other model on this page, are not rated and must not be used for electrical work.
The Skylotec Inceptor GRX High Voltage is the rated model in this range and is also available in a reflective shell. Check the rating against the voltage on site and against the electrical safety rules that apply to the work, and replace the helmet after any electrical contact regardless of visible damage.
