A typical hard hat consists of a plastic outer shell with an inner suspension system made from webbing. Some models include foam padding on the sides and a chin strap.

Updates to the traditional, 4-point suspension hard hats include no logo on the shell and an updated even more durable ratchet design. Milwaukee Tool Corp. Milwaukee Tool Corp.

As one reader with construction industry experience told us, "The suspension holding up the hard hat is clearly backwards and would be a violation to a job site if OSHA were to inspect." ...

A company started by two scientists has developed a hard hat that will do a better job protecting workers from on-the-job brain injuries. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Sept. 9, 2022.) ...

He designed the first-ever hard hat in 1915, which was made from layers of canvas that were steamed together with glue, a featured a leather brim, and a shock-absorbing suspension device inside.

Edward W. Bullard invented the hard hat in 1919, then patented it in 1929. It's credited with saving lives on job sites while also becoming a symbol of working-class America.