Hard hats: does colour matter?

P Browning
Member - 9 posts

Network Rail boobs yet again. Anyone who has done an ounce of research will know that the colour yellow is far more immediately visible than the colour blue but there's certainly not a shred of evidence that blue is more visible than white.
Equally, if the HSE should really want to make a song and dance, there's a good case for saying that after (say) 2012 all hard hats should be yellow on the same basis that all motorway workers wear yellow tabards.

Nick Durham
Member - 2 posts

This is clearly a case of "local" regualtions imposed by Network Rail. If their policy on workers without a track safety certificate being identifed by the wearing of a blue safety hat is well documented and communicated to contractors, then the labourers should have complied. Obviously the colour of the hard hat doesnt indicate its level of effectiveness, different styles of hard hat which comply with the relevant regulation are available in different colours. In this case the colour coding is stipulated by Network Rails' own rules and the health & safety issue surrounding the colour coding is down to workers' competence whilst working on the tracks.

Tim Blanchard
Member - 9 posts

Surely Network Rail rules should prohibit workers who do not possess a track safety certificate from working near rail tracks. This is basic. Certainly a blue hat will afford no more protection to a person than any other colour. Trains tend to be large, fast and heavy. It would be interesting to read Network Rails policy with regard to train drivers and the action to be taken depending on the colour of the helmet. Would a colour blind driver be employed by Nework Rail or would a plea of mitigating circumstaces be accepted as he didn't realise the helmet was blue?
All employees should be fully trained in workplace hazards before being exposed to them.

Kevin Brown
Member - 110 posts

Armed forces serving under the command of the UN always wear blue headgear. My brother-in-law was turned down by the Fire Service when he applied for a job on leaving the army specifically (he told us) because of his colour blindness. The inference was that he wouldn't be as perceptive to subtle nuances of colour and would therefore be at greater risk. This doesn't prevent him from driving so, presumably, the condition doesn't prevent people from becoming train drivers. Perhaps someone can enlighten us.
My own employer, in the interest of seeking conformity, has limited the choice of high-lighter pens to (you guessed it) red and green.

Nicola White
Member - 1 post

I'm very confused... even with a PTS i'm advised that blue hard hats must be worn for newly PTS certified persons.... although i've been told the timescale before change to white is not clear (some say 20 shifts, some say 6 months, some say 2 years !!)

Carl Manning
Member - 22 posts

I expect the Network Rail 'rules' have been put in place in order to demonstrate the company has learnt from some recent incidents. Surely all organisations will have their local procedures and thus the 'incident' is not too surprising?
However, what is notable is the lack of communication between NR and Miller's?

It would be worth knowing who decided the wrong colour meant failing to meet basic safety requirements, someone who had just read the new rules looking to score points or someone hoping to get the right message out for the right reasons?

David Partington
Member - 10 posts

I suspect that you will find that staff who are authorised to work on the tracks have a specific hat colouring, thereby making it easier for suppervisors to quickly determine that the staff that are working in that area have had the appropriate training to be there.

Martin Ffitch CMIOSH
Member - 9 posts

The system is very simple and very effective. The coloured hats quickly allows everyone to distinquish the basic competency of track side workers.

Yellow most certainly is NOT used as so much work is done under yellow floodlights that makes white look like yellow, but conversely makes blue look much darker.

I've seen several manufacturing sites which use this as a way to distinguish contractors from employees.

Peter Knopp
Member - 3 posts

Network rail are quite within their rights to specify colour coded hard hats to help them easily identify and control whereabouts of "at-risk" persons.
How this decision could be interpreted or reported as "failed to meet basic safety requirements" is intriguing to say the least. Perhaps this emanated from a reporter on the staff of the Daily Mail!

John Murrell
Member - 1 post

The use of different coloured helmets to identify different groups of people is quite common in different industries, For instance I have been in a Steel Works and a Power Station that both issued Green Helmets to visitors. It helps identify them as they may not be as fully aware of the risks in a particular environment as the full time staff. I have also seen helmet colours used to identify specific peopel such as first aiders and the site supervisor.

Allen Wilson
Member - 3 posts

I recently whilst delivering H&S training in Glasgow displayed a blue hard hat. Sadly this was taken as being more than offensive to the majority of the delegates. Unfortunately I had failed to take into consideration I was in a Celtic stronghold area where the wearing of blue would be unacceptable (to put it moderately).
I take on board Kevin's comments regarding colour blindness and also find it strange that whilst he was acceptable for the armed forces he was unsuitable for the Fire Service. However, sadly it is a fact that 8% of adult males suffer a degree of colour blindness whereas women it is only 0.8%. (they may carry the gene but are rarely affected by it). This is why men are not allowed to choose our own clothes!