HELMETS

Whether working at height or in the industrial sector, a helmet is an essential part of any equipment. Certified to European and international standards, EDELRID helmets reliably protect the head against impact or falling objects.

Industrial safety helmets (EN 397)

Industrial safety helmets should protect the head of the wearer from falling objects. The standard defines the following mandatory requirements:

• If the helmet has vents, their total size must be at least 150 mm2 and at most 450 mm2
• Vertical shock absorption
• Penetration resistance against pointed and sharp objects
• Flame resistance
• Chin strap fastening: the chin strap releases at 150 N at a minimum and at 250 N as a maximum

There are also some optional requirements, but these are not mandatory:

• Resistance at very low temperatures (-20°C or -30°C)
• Resistance at very high temperatures (+150°C)
• Electrically insulated (1.2 mA)
• Resistance to molten metal splash
• Lateral deformation

Electrically insulated helmets (EN 50365)

Electrically insulated helmets are used to protect against electric shocks and to prevent dangerous flow through the body, e.g. when working on low voltage systems. The following requirements are mandated by the standard:

• All requirements as stipulated by EN 397
• Protection against AC voltage up to 1000 V or DC voltage up to 1500 V
• Isolating helmets must not contain conductive parts.
• Vents (if provided) must not allow unintentional contact with live parts

Climbing and mountaineering helmets (EN 12492)

Climbing and mountaineering helmets are designed to protect the head of the wearer against dangers that can occur during mountaineering (falling rocks, impact after a fall). The following requirements are mandated by the standard:

• The helmet must be ventilated. The size of the ventilation slots must be at least 4 cm2
• Vertical, frontal, lateral and dorsal shock absorption capacity
• Penetration resistance
• Chin strap fastening strength (chin strap releases at 500 N as a minimum)
• Chin strap fastening strength: chin strap may stretch a maximum of 25 mm
• Effectiveness of the chin strap: the helmet may not slide off the wearer’s head (retention test)

Helmet designs

Different types of helmets are used in mountaineering and occupational safety. They differ in their construction and function and are therefore suitable for different uses. The construction can be roughly divided into three types: so-called hard shell helmets, in-mold helmets and hybrid helmets.

Hard shell helmets

These helmets have an extremely robust and shockproof shell made of plastic, which extends over the entire outer helmet surface. Whereas in the past the shells were mainly made of fiberglass reinforced plastic, nowadays mixtures of polypropylene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) are generally used. An internal strap construction increases the cushioning properties and ensures that the helmet does not rest directly on the head. The elongation of the straps and the elastic deformation of the shell ensures any impact energy is absorbed. Thanks to its extremely solid construction and the largely antibacterial straps, which can be easily removed and cleaned, this helmet form is particularly suitable for commercial facilities such as climbing gyms and adventure parks.

In-mold (foam) helmets

Helmets with in-mold technology have a thin outer shell made of polycarbonate, which is firmly connected to a shock-absorbing expanded polystyrene (EPS) core. The energy is absorbed by a deformation of the EPS core. The polycarbonate shell protects the EPS core from damage and distributes the resulting force over a larger area. Depending on the model, the outer shell may only partially cover areas of the head. In-mold or softshell helmets are particularly light, but also less robust than other helmet types. In-mold helmets can be damaged by careless stressing, for example, by accidentally sitting on them when they are stowed in the rucksack.

Hybrid helmets

Hybrid helmets combine the advantages of the technologies of hard shell and in-mold helmets. The outer shell consists of a robust and shock-resistant plastic shell made of ABS. Inside, a foamed core of expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polypropylene (EPP) provides the best cushioning properties. Hybrid helmets are particularly robust all-rounders.