The Foundation of Hardhat Bench

For decades, the process of hiring safety professionals has been broken, driven by middlemen and massive markups. Companies delay critical projects because they can't find vetted talent, while elite professionals sit idle. Hardhat Bench wasn't built by a tech incubator; it was built by industry veterans who lived these frustrations, partnered with the engineering talent required to fix them.

Mark Briggs

Co-Founder & Industry Veteran

As the founder of Safety Management Resources, Mark has spent decades in the trenches of the EHS sector. He didn't just observe the friction in EHS staffing; he experienced it daily. After years of navigating complex OSHA compliance, corporate risk management, and the logistical hurdles of deploying specialized safety talent, Mark realized the traditional staffing model was fundamentally broken. He built Hardhat Bench to give hiring managers the immediate, transparent access to vetted talent he always demanded for his own projects.

Ben Briggs

Co-Founder & Principal Engineer

A platform handling critical safety credentials requires bulletproof architecture. With a background leading software engineering at organizations of all sizes—including highly regulated FinTech environments handling sensitive data—Ben led the design of Hardhat Bench as a robust, enterprise-grade tool. He ensures that professionals maintain strict control over their credentials and companies experience zero friction when making a secure hire.

Our Philosophy

We believe the people doing the work should keep the money. We never skim a percentage off a professional's hourly contract rate, and we don't hide our costs in perpetual markups. Professionals keep 100% of what they earn on contract. If a company finds their perfect full-time hire on the bench, our W-2 conversion terms are simple, flat, and transparent. We provide the bench; you build the team.

Ready to join the bench?

Whether you're an experienced safety professional or a company looking for vetted talent, Hardhat Bench was built for you.

Find Safety Talent Join as a Professional