According to data from the Central Statistical Office, just three quarters of one year are enough for nearly a hundred Polish workers to lose their lives while performing their professional duties. This happens despite regulations such as the obligation to wear protective helmets. Of course, not all industries and sectors involve such risks in their work. The highest number of fatal accidents was recorded in warehouses, industry and construction.
Check out construction helmets at the Onninen wholesaler
To improve safety at work, employees should be provided with appropriate protective equipment by their employer and properly trained. On a construction site – regardless of whether it is work at heights or at ground level – there is a high risk of head injury. Therefore, every employee on the site – whether it is apprentices, surveyors, engineers or staff such as electricians – should wearconstruction helmets that comply with health and safety requirements. In addition to protecting the head from injuries, they also have another function. Thanks to the different colours, it allows for quick distinction between representatives of individual groups. In this article, we explain what the colours of helmets mean.
Construction safety helmet colors and regulations
The obligation to wear a protective helmet while working on a construction site is regulated by law. It is referred to in the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure on occupational health and safety during construction works and the Regulation of the Minister of Labor and Social Policy on general occupational health and safety regulations.
However, Polish regulations do not say anything about what colors construction helmets worn by workers should be, depending on their function. This issue is regulated by the internal regulations of a given company – usually based on customs prevailing in the industry.
What do helmet colors mean?
In most cases, the colors of the helmets for individual employees indicate the following functions:
- black helmet: architect or person responsible for authorial supervision;
- green helmet: health and safety employees;
- orange helmet: surveyors;
- red helmet: trainees or interns. Helmets of this color are also intended for guests;
- yellow helmet: manual workers;
- blue helmet: skilled workers (e.g. electrician, machine operator, energy engineer or worker working at heights);
- white helmet: construction inspectors, engineers and construction management.
It is worth remembering, however, that not all companies follow this division. It is also different in other countries. For example, the color gray, which is not included in the above division, is often assigned to guests of the investment in the West. In turn, a brown helmet to protect the head is worn by welders, and a red one by employees involved in fire protection.
Safety helmet on construction site. What are the penalties for not wearing one?
According to the aforementioned legal acts, for the lack of this protection in employees, the employer may pay a fine of PLN 500 to PLN 1,000. Persons responsible for ensuring protection and health and safety at construction sites must also expect criminal liability in the event of failure to fulfill this obligation. According to Article 220 of the Penal Code, the court may impose a penalty of up to 3 years of imprisonment on them.
Construction safety helmets at the Onninen wholesaler
In the Onninen installation wholesaler you will find hundreds of products necessary for construction, installation work, etc. In addition to installation elements or building materials, our offer also includes high-quality Delta Plus Zircon one helmets in various colors - e.g. in orange, blue and white. Such as helmets:
- Construction helmet orange Delta Plus polyethylene ZIRC1OR
- Construction helmet blue Delta Plus Zircon1 polyethylene ZIRC1BL
- Construction helmet white Delta Plus Zircon1 polyethylene ZIRC1BC
They are made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) resistant to UV radiation. The eight-point harness and foam sweatband ensure comfort and the possibility of perfect adjustment to the head size. The helmets comply with the EU standards EN397:1995/A1:2000 (-10°C / +50°C / 440 V AC) & EN50365:2002 (class 0) and EN50365 :2002 and are covered by a five-year warranty.
Providing construction workers with helmets is not only a sign of concern for their safety, but also a way for the company to operate in accordance with the law. Therefore, purchasing them should not be taken for granted – they can prevent serious consequences of potential accidents.