Do hard hats save lives?

My answer is – regularily no. Hierarchy of controls sets the PPE as last line of defence and I bilieve that there are many things we could do before relying on hardhat.

1. Don’t put your head in awkward place if you can use aiding device 
2. Use DROPS protection (secondary retention, when working at height)
3. Use barriers to keep unauthorised personnel away
4. Be aware of your surroundings
5. Buddy system, watch out for each other

Occasionally hardhat might save someone’s life, but only if let it be by chance, which isn’t a good choice