The question of the service life arises from time to time on the part of the user. The security professionals repeatedly experience a relatively high level of uncertainty among users, mainly due to ignorance. This blog post will briefly address the most important points and answer important questions about the service life of safety helmets.
Service life of industrial safety helmet and bump cap
In this article, only industrial safety helmets (and bump caps) that fully comply with the established standards and rules of occupational health and safety will be considered. These are EN 397 for industrial safety helmets and EN 14052 for high-performance industrial helmets, as well as EN 812 for industrial bump caps and DGUV Rule 112-193 (ehm. BGR 193) in the current versions. Other helmets, such as helmets for the fire brigade, military or motorcycle helmets, are subject to completely different requirements and are not included here.
Helmet shell and interior service life
Basically, you can distinguish between the helmet shell and the interior of industrial safety helmets and bumper caps. The interior is not subject to direct wear and tear during normal use. Hygiene and cleanliness play a greater role here. For this reason, an occasional exchange is recommended.
Otherwise, however, the helmet shell is subject to completely different and harder stresses and therefore forces the helmet to be replaced before the protective effect is no longer guaranteed.
What affects the lifespan of helmets?
The helmet (the helmet shell) is stressed by the following loads:
- mechanical loads, shocks
- UV light
- Temperature (heat, cold)
- Plastic aging, depending on the material used and its quality
- a combination of the foregoing loads. An overview of selected helmet materials is given in the table below.
| Material | Abbreviation n.ISO | Property | Dimensional stability | Breaking strength at low temperature | Chemical resistance | Durability |
| Polyamide/Nylon | PA | thermoplastic | up to approx. 150°C | good | good | |
| Polyethylene | PE | thermoplastic | up to approx. 125 °C | good | good | good |
| Polycarbonate | PC | thermoplastic | up to approx. 230°C | good | ||
| Acrylonitrile/Butadiene/Styrene | ABS | thermoplastic | up to approx. 90°C | good | good | good |
| Polycarbonate, glass fibre reinforced | PC-GF | thermoplastic | up to approx. 230°C | good | ||
| Polypropylene, glass fibre reinforced | PP-GF | thermoplastic | up to approx. 140 °C | good | good | |
| Phenolic resin, fibre-reinforced | PF-SF | thermosetting | up to 200 °C | very good | very good | very good |
| Polyester resin, unsaturated, glass fibre reinforced | UP-GF | thermosetting | up to 200 °C | very good | very good | very good |
Industrial safety helmets: which material lasts longer?
The table includes thermoplastic and thermoset materials. For cost reasons, thermoplastic industrial safety helmets are mainly sold and used as personal protective equipment.
Thermoset helmets are more expensive, if only because of the more expensive materials and the more complex production, but they also have extended application possibilities.
Especially with a combination of helmet loads, it is difficult to accurately predict the safe service life. Manufacturers therefore usually recommend a service life that also includes a certain safety margin.
Below are some examples of manufacturer's claims on the service life from the date of manufacture:
Schuberth helmets: 4 years
Voss helmets: 5 years
Centurion: 5 years
Portwest: 7 years
Petzl and some other manufacturers: 10 years
Bump caps: usually 1 year (for hygienic reasons)
"The date of manufacture is firmly attached to the helmet or bump cap, usually embossed, for example in the peak." Explains Dr. Hans-Jürgen Beyer from AAV GmbH.
In special cases, the service life may be longer. For example, the manufacturer VOSS-HELME GmbH & Co. KG specifies up to 10 years for glass-fibre reinforced polycarbot helmets and up to 8 years for phenolic resin/textile helmets.
Information on the maximum service life of helmets
The maximum service life is listed in the data sheet that accompanies the helmet and the user must adhere to this indication. As an example of an indication of the date of manufacture, the marking inside the Schuberth helmet should be cited here:
A helmet may still look good, but it is no longer usable. This is especially true after mechanical pressurization. In this case, the helmet shell can be damaged in its molecular structure, invisible to the eye, and thus lose its strength or stiffness, which can be determined manually if necessary. In this case, the helmet must be replaced and can no longer be used, as its protective effect is uncertain or no longer given.
Special cases are helmets which, according to the manufacturer, can withstand a temperature of up to 1000 °C for a short time (e.g. thermoset helmets from Voss). Here, too, the manufacturer's instructions must be strictly observed.
Safe use of industrial safety helmets and bump caps
The safety professionals summarize that the safe service life of industrial safety helmets and high-performance industrial safety helmets depends on the manufacturer's specification. Damage of various kinds (e.g. mechanical, UV radiation, heat, cold, etc.) can (considerably) shorten the service life. For reasons of hygiene, a service life of 1 year from the date of manufacture is recommended for bump caps. If you have any questions about the safe use of helmets, you should always contact the manufacturer or specialist trade for occupational safety.