Hard Hats: Thermoplastic vs. Fiberglass

Hardhats are an important staple of modern-day construction, protecting millions of workers from the hazards of falling objects. While the usefulness of hardhats is undisputed, it is not always clear what type of hardhat is most beneficial. The external material of hardhats has changed over the years from fiberglass to thermoplastic and, recently, to other materials. Hardhats made from each of these materials function differently in the work environment.

Fiberglass Hardhats

• Fiberglass is an extremely strong, lightweight and durable material. Fiberglass is also not brittle. As such, it is an excellent base material for hardhats. Cheap production costs and a shatter-resistant design made fiberglass hardhats popular in America around the 1940s.

Thermoplastic Hardhats

• Thermoplastic hardhats emerged a decade later in the 1950s. Thermoplastic provided roughly the same protection as fiberglass, but was cheaper to produce. Thermoplastic melts into a liquid at high temperatures, making it easy to mold into any shape, so the production of thermoplastic hardhats was also faster than that of their fiberglass predecessors.

Specific Conditions

• Fiberglass is better suited than thermoplastic to an environment where a worker could get splashed with molten metal. Thermoplastic is at risk of melting under such conditions. By contrast, thermoplastic hardhats work better in environments where there is a risk the worker could be exposed to high-voltage electrical shocks, as thermoplastic is less conductive than fiberglass.

Modern Hardhats

• While fiberglass and thermoplastic hardhats each have their advantages, they have largely been superseded by modern designs that use high-density polyethylene and similar chemicals as a base. Such materials are even stronger, lighter and easier to produce.