While the general shape of a hard hat is fairly consistent, there is one major variable aspect: the color. Hard hats come in ...

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.

The hard hat travels on the road with the Syracuse women's basketball team. Alaina Rice won it after her performance at Yale on Dec. 4. Photo courtesy of Syracuse Athletics.

Bullard patented the world's first hard hat a century ago. But today, as more workers toil in extreme heat, it's adding new features. Next Big Things in Tech Awards Final Deadline This Friday, 6/20.

Many hard hat manufactures now offer swing-style suspensions that allow for you to quickly reverse the direction of your hard hat. (WQOW News/Screenshot) ...

WaveCel hard hats cost $169 to $189, which is several times the amount for a standard hard hat and more than many premium models, including some with MIPS technology.

Whoever tallies the most of these points by the end of the game wins the hard hat postgame. A team score is also recorded for Oats and his staff to assess how "blue collar" the team's performance was.

While the general shape of a hard hat is fairly consistent, there is one major variable aspect: the color. Hard hats come in a variety of bright colors, and those colors aren't just an aesthetic ...