What Are Industrial Bump Caps?

A bump cap is a type of headgear that is typically used in work environments where there is a risk of head injuries from falling objects or bumping into objects. Bump caps are not designed to protect against impact forces as much as they are designed to protect against abrasions, cuts, and scrapes. They are usually made from soft materials such as foam or fabric, and they often have a visor to protect the face from debris. Bump caps are typically worn in combination with other types of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hard hats or safety glasses.

What are bump caps used for?

Bump caps are most commonly used in industrial and construction settings, as they offer protection from minor bumps, scrapes, and bruises. They are also used in food service and other industries where there is a risk of head injuries from falling objects. Bump caps are typically made of high-density polyethylene or another tough plastic, and they fit snugly over the top of the head.

While bump caps offer some protection, they are not meant to be used in lieu of hard hats. Hard hats must be worn in construction zones and other areas where there is a risk of serious head injuries. Bump caps should only be used in environments where the risks are relatively low.

How are bump caps tested?

EN 812 is the safety standard used for certified industrial bump caps. The two methods used to test bump caps to see if they conform to EN 812 are the impact/shock absorption test and the penetration test.

Impact/shock absorption

Bump caps are intended to protect the wearer from static objects (e.g., walking into low ceilings or hanging obstructions).

To achieve the impact test, a 5 kg fl at striker is dropped onto the bump cap from a height of 250 mm, with a maximum allowable transmitted force of 15 kN. Impacts are carried out on the front and rear of the bump cap, with the head form tilted at 30° and 60° to reflect the nature of any impacts likely in use.

Penetration

Bump caps are intended to provide protection against sharp or pointed objects (such as corners or protruding elements of static objects).

A penetration test is carried out at lower energy and involves a 500g striker being dropped from a height 500mm onto the bump cap fitted to a fixed head form.

S U M M A R Y

After reading this blog you hopefully now know what the uses of a bump cap are and when it would be suitable to wear one. You should also know that they are not a substitute for hard hats and are in fact only tested to a certain amount of impact/shock absorption and penetration. If you were looking to purchase a bump cap and now wish to buy a hard hat instead or as well as a bump cap, you may want to read our blog on hard hat colour coding here. However, if you want to go straight to browsing our range of head protection,

To view our range of head protection.