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Hats off to Hard Hats

Few know the role Bechtel has played in hardhat history.

The originals, crafted from steamed canvas, glue, and black paint, were called “hard-boiled hats.” Today hardhats are molded in polyethylene; they’re lightweight, don’t conduct electricity, and stand up to the baking sun. Their trademarked shape is an emblem of safety. But few know the role Bechtel has played in hardhat history.

Bechtel was the first builder to make them mandatory—purchasing hundreds in 1931 for its Hoover Dam project employees. And in the early 1980s, the company’s safety director proposed an innovation that yielded the biggest improvement in 70 years—an adjustable suspension that fits the hat more snugly to its wearer. Today, Bechtel buys upwards of 6,500 hardhats a year to keep employees safe.