How to choose a safety helmet: standard, use and spare parts

For a building site or general industrial work you need a safety helmet compliant with EN 397, in polyethylene, ABS or polycarbonate. If you work at height, choose a model that is also marked EN 12492 and has a chin strap. The bump cap (EN 812) only protects against knocks you take while moving around: it does not replace the safety helmet where objects can fall from above.

The types

• Site and industrial safety helmet. This is the classic hard hat, with an adjustable headband and inner lining. You will find it, for example, in the Neri Bop Energy 3000 safety helmet or the Kask WG11 safety helmet. For everyday use it is the starting choice.
• Helmet for work at height. It has a multi-point chin strap and a fit designed for people who move around, bend over or work suspended. An example is the Petzl Strato Custom. Check the declared standards on the data sheet.
• Light hard hat and bump cap. Lightweight, for workshops, warehouses and low passages where the head risks bumping against beams or structures but there is no falling material.
• Helmet liners. Balaclavas and caps to wear under the helmet when it is cold, such as the Petzl Balaclava.
• Accessories and spare parts. Visors, chin straps and retention straps, spare inner padding, sweatbands, clips, badge holders and reflective or high-visibility stickers. Visors and spare parts are almost always specific to one model: in the collection they are listed for the Oreka II, Secra or Stilo helmets, for example.

How to choose by job

The features to look at

• Standards. The collection includes EN 397 (industrial safety helmets), EN 12492 (mountaineering and work-at-height helmets), EN 812 (bump caps), EN 50365 (electrical insulation) and EN 443 (firefighting helmets). Some data sheets also state the temperature range and the LD requirement, lateral deformation. Choose the standard according to the risk of your work, not the price or the look.
• Material. Polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, HDPE, polycarbonate and nylon. Weight, stiffness and behaviour in cold and sun vary: read the data sheet.
• Weight. Complete helmets usually weigh between about 400 and 900 g. The heavier it is, the more you feel it at the end of the shift.
• Colour. White, yellow, orange, blue, red, green and fluorescent yellow. Many firms use different colours to identify roles on site; high visibility matters when vehicles are moving about.
• Adjustment and chin strap. The headband must hold the helmet still without squeezing. The 4-point chin strap is the one you need when you work at height or move around a lot.
• Compatibility. Visors, harnesses and liners only fit the models indicated. Check the name of the helmet before ordering a spare part.
• Packaging and warranty. Some items are sold in cartons of 6, 10, 16, 32 pieces and more, useful if you are equipping a crew. For certain models the data sheet states a 3-year warranty.

Common mistakes

• Using the bump cap on a building site. It does not protect against falling objects. Where there is a risk from above you need the safety helmet.
• Keeping the helmet after a hard impact. Even if no crack is visible it must be replaced, and likewise at the expiry date set by the manufacturer.
• Drilling, painting or sticking on just any stickers. Use only the stickers approved by the manufacturer, such as the reflective stickers for the Petzl Strato.
• Leaving the chin strap undone at height. At the first sudden movement the helmet comes off.
• Buying a spare part for a different helmet. Padding and visors are not interchangeable between models.

Frequently asked questions

When do I need to replace the safety helmet?

After a hard impact and at the expiry date set by the manufacturer. Linings and padding, on the other hand, are replaced when worn, without having to change the whole helmet.

Can I put stickers on the helmet?

Only those approved by the manufacturer, for example the dedicated reflective stickers. Adhesives and solvents from other products can damage the material.

Do I need the chin strap?

Yes when you work at height or move around a lot, because it stops the helmet falling off. For static work on the ground you can also do without it, but still adjust the headband so that the helmet stays put.

What is the difference between a safety helmet and a bump cap?

The safety helmet (EN 397) withstands falling objects. The bump cap (EN 812) only protects against knocks against stationary objects as you move.

You will find all the models and spare parts in the safety helmets and hard hats collection: if you are unsure about the standard or the right spare part, ask the AMES technicians for a quote or advice.