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Yet the hard hat is loathed by many in the industry. Workers complain that they are uncomfortable, restrictive and 鈥� worst of all 鈥� make them look silly. "On many of the smaller sites, hardly anyone wears a hard hat, even if it is provided," says Darren Farr, 21, an agency labourer from Romford in Essex. "And on the bigger sites people wear them, but not many keep them on because they are either too cold or make your head ache." Compulsory on British building sites since March 1990, this cheap, mass-produced and distinctly unflattering plastic object is also the main weapon in the battle to improve safety on sites. Yet for such a crucial piece of equipment the design has not changed radically for almost a century, whereas other types of safety headgear, such as military, cycle or motorcycle helmets, have changed almost beyond recognition.

So where exactly has this reviled chunk of plastic come from? Its origins are contentious. US manufacturer Bullard claims to have invented the device at the end of the 19th century as a safety helmet for miners. The firm started out as a mine supplies business in 1898, producing the "hard-boiled hat", so named because it was manufactured using canvas and glue, shaped on a mould and steamed.

Bullard claims that, during the building of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s, it was asked by the project engineer to adapt its hat for site workers 鈥� and thus brought hard hats to construction.

British manufacturer Centurion challenges Bullard's claim. The Thetford firm says it too has been manufacturing the headgear since the late 19th century, and claims that the design was adopted from army pith helmets. Rival firm JSP, which produces 4 million hard hats each year and is Europe's largest manufacturer of safety helmets, believes that today's hard hat could be traced back to Roman helmets.

Whatever the origin, many people feel the design has not improved much. "Hard hats are far from practical and it seems that the design of them needs to be revisited," says Matthew Riddick, a senior project manager for Mansell. "The hats could be less cumbersome. A good example is cycle helmets 鈥� they seem to have become much lighter and harder. They are closer to the scalp and take the fall of the cyclist so maybe the design could lend itself to the building industry." Riddick says the hat's two-inch peak 鈥� designed to protect the nose and forehead 鈥� causes problems for workers on ladders as the peak restricts a comfortable line of sight. To get round this, he says, some workers cut the peaks off their hats.

More problems occur when fashion-conscious workers wear their hats baseball-cap-style, with the peak facing backwards. According to Farr: "Workmen think it is more stylish to turn their hats around 鈥� especially the younger ones," he says. "But there was one workman on a site that used to wear his hard hat back to front like a baseball cap and he ended up badly damaging his neck where the peak dug into it." A study carried out in Hong Kong in 1999 identified further drawbacks. Concerned at the high rate of deaths caused by falling objects, the Occupational Safety and Health Council sponsored an inquiry into the protective functions of hard hats.

The report found that the impact resistance of the plastic commonly used to make hard hats declines significantly after two or three years, and recommended that they be replaced after two years. Exposure to high temperature, humidity and ultraviolet light particularly reduced the lifespan.

It also found that objects falling on the centre or edge of the hat could cause injuries to the neck. Tests found that with certain models, impacts as low as 50 J could cause injury.

The report further suggested that international impact-resistance standards might not be adequate to protect workers on high-rise buildings, as are common in Hong Kong. It recommended higher standards for the island, and training for all workers in how to use and look after their hats.

Hard hats are primarily designed to protect against falling objects. In Britain, they have to meet BS 5240, which outlines physical and performance requirements and methods of testing.

John Mead, senior team leader at the Movement for Innovation, believes that their design needs to evolve to reflect the different needs of wearers. "Because of the traditional design of the hard hat, you are constantly banging your head on things," he says. "They are only practical for work at ground level so there are problems for workers who wear them in other circumstances. Scaffolders can have a nightmare because they have to keep adjusting their hat to see properly." He adds: "And all this can be made worse because the temperature is never quite right. In the winter, your head absolutely freezes so you see men wearing baseball caps and woolly hats under their hard hats, and in the summer it's so hot your head gets like a boiled egg." A spokesperson from JSP's technical department says the firm is working to address these concerns. "The design of hard hats is developing all the time and new designs are trying to focus on coping with temperature issues and also trying to make them more comfortable to wear for prolonged periods of time," he says. "Peak hard hats are not particularly functional for surveyors and workmen who have to work in awkward circumstances, but there are hats designed without peaks so work can be carried out with greater ease." The firm is also reacting to criticisms from women in construction, who cannot find suitable headgear. "Because there are so many more women beginning to work in the industry, we are getting more and more colour requirements," says the spokesperson. "We sometimes get calls from women asking if they can paint their hard hats pink, but it's not something we recommend because of the materials involved." Last year, Centurion launched a "baseball bump cap" in an attempt to bring the hard hat more into line with fashion trends, but it is designed to only protect against minor bumps and scrapes.

Site managers point out practical reasons why the design has not evolved. First, expensive or trendy hard hats would not last long on site as they are so easily stolen. Workers cannot lock their hats in their tool boxes and they are awkward to carry around.

Second, although firms are happy to shell out for a site hut full of bog-standard hats, they would think twice about stocking up with pricier models that would be unlikely to be returned. That would mean workers having to invest in their own hats 鈥� and remembering to bring them to work each day. Most site managers have a stockpile of spare hats for visitors or workers who forget their own. But as Riddick adds: "It then becomes far too easy for workers to rely on this supply. And site managers end up either imposing huge fines on their own forgetful workers or charging extortionate prices for workers to hire out a hard hat to wear for work that day 鈥� so it acts as a deterrent." They may not be popular, but hard hats are exceptionally good value. The no-frills plastic moulded hat costs about 拢3, while optional extras such as a rain gutter, vents and a nylon sweatband can push up the price to 拢5. But plump for a fibreglass version that is heat-resistant and perhaps has a reduced peak and deluxe chinstrap, and the price is going to start to stretch past the 拢10 mark. Contrast this with the 拢75 it costs to buy a basic motorcycle helmet.

But with safety on the agenda like never before, it could be time for the industry to have a long, hard look at the hard hat. Changing its design is one way forward, but any new look must be accepted by the people that are going to be wearing it. And that means, as Farr says, that the hard hat should not be considered a fashion accessory. "I don't see my hard hat as something that is going to make me look good, it just does a job in protecting my head. I see it as an item in my work clothes 鈥� part of my builders' uniform. They're not supposed to make you look cool are they?"