PPE/Specific/TBT-PPE-032

Hoods and Hoodies Not Allowed on Site

Personal Protective Equipment › Specific › Hoods and Hoodies Not Allowed on Site

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Wearing hoods or hoodies on construction sites is prohibited by most principal contractors as a site safety rule.
A hood worn up reduces peripheral vision, limits hearing, and prevents the hard hat from fitting correctly.
Hoods obscure the wearer's ability to hear verbal warnings, reversing alarms, and emergency evacuation signals.
A raised hood under a hard hat lifts the helmet away from the head, reducing impact protection significantly.
Loose hood fabric can catch on machinery, scaffolding components, reinforcement, and rotating equipment.
The hard hat chinstrap cannot function correctly when a bulky hood is worn underneath the helmet.
In cold weather, approved hard hat liners, balaclavas, or thermal skull caps are the safe alternative to hoods.
The PPE at Work Regulations 1992 require that PPE fits correctly and is not compromised by other clothing.
This rule applies to all hoods including those on coats, fleeces, sweatshirts, and waterproof jackets.
Enforcement is typically immediate — workers wearing hoods up will be asked to remove them or leave site.

Hard hat performance	A hood lifts the hard hat off the skull, creating a gap that eliminates the helmet's ability to absorb and distribute impact.
Hearing and awareness	Hoods block peripheral hearing — you cannot hear reversing alarms, warning shouts, or evacuation sirens effectively.
Entanglement hazard	Loose hood fabric catches on rebar, scaffold fittings, and rotating parts, pulling the wearer into dangerous positions.
Peripheral vision	A raised hood creates blind spots to the sides — you cannot see approaching plant, falling objects, or overhead hazards.

Don't

Use an approved thermal skull cap or balaclava that fits under your hard hat in cold weather.
Wear a hard hat winter liner designed to fit inside the helmet shell without lifting it.
Tuck hood fabric securely inside your jacket or coat before putting on your hard hat.
Choose workwear with detachable hoods so the hood can be removed entirely on site.
Ensure your hard hat sits level on your head with the chinstrap adjusted correctly.
Use a neck gaiter or snood for warmth that does not interfere with helmet fit.
Challenge colleagues constructively if you see them wearing a hood up on site.
Report to your supervisor if approved cold weather alternatives are not being provided.
Keep spare thermal liners in the welfare cabin for workers who arrive without them.
Explain the safety reasons to new starters during induction before they enter site.

DON'T wear a hood up under your hard hat at any time while on the construction site.
DON'T wear a hoodie with the hood out over the top of your hard hat on site.
DON'T argue that hoods are acceptable because it is cold — approved alternatives exist.
DON'T wear any garment that prevents your hard hat from sitting flush against your head.
DON'T wear earphones or earbuds under a hood — this creates a double hearing barrier.
DON'T allow drawstrings to hang loose near moving parts or scaffold components.
DON'T assume this rule applies only to hoodies — coat and jacket hoods are included.
DON'T remove your hard hat to wear a hood instead during cold or wet conditions.
DON'T wait to be told — keep your hood down from the moment you enter site.
DON'T see this as a petty rule — it protects your head, hearing, and awareness.

See also: Hard Hat Standards | PPE Selection and Use

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