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History of hard hats

Thursday, January 21, 2010 By: Transportation Supply

The first hard hats were created in California by a mining company in 1898 and were made entirely of leather. The hats were later made from steel and based on the Brodie helmets used in World War I. The first use of hard hats on a construction site was during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1933.

Since the 1950’s, most hard hats are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or advanced engineering resins, such as Ultem. The main reason for switching over to plastics is because they were easy to mold and shape with heat and cost less to manufacture then ones made of metal. Most workers prefer hats made from plastic because of better balance, lighter weight and resistance to scrapes and stains.

Road Construction Woes

Monday, January 11, 2010 By: Road-Safety

I consider myself a fairly patient person, and it really takes a lot to get under my skin. That being said, I am exasperated with the amount of time that it has taken to upgrade and expand the freeway by my house. For the last fifteen years there have been construction crews working on and off on the eastside of the 520 Freeway, and there still seems to be no end in sight.

Every morning there is a new traffic barrier restricting the flow traffic and impeding my morning commute. While I recognize the need to add more lanes and rework the exits to relieve congestion, fifteen years for a single project seems a bit excessive. The city claims that the project will be done next year, but after receiving dozens of empty promises, I’ll believe it when I see it.