The invention of construction workers’ hard hats

The construction workers’ hats were invented by E.W. Bullard, who was inspired by the steel helmets he wore during World War I. He devised what is now known as ‘hard hats’. They were called so because they were made by steaming canvas and glue to make a hard material, which were then fashioned into hats. When the Hoover Dam was being constructed in 1931, the companies insisted on their workers wearing these hats for safety.