work at height hard hats

[boac]

There's a misunderstanding here.

Absolutely, I freely admit that I was not clear on the matter. I have not spent the £120 for each standard or made it down to my local library to read them. I was trying to make sense of what I was reading on the Petzl and Flints websites regarding these helmets and their uses. My post was not meant to read as a definitive answer on the subject, that's why I used phrases like 'According to the Petzl website', 'it would seem' and 'presumably'.

 

When you say "come off when snagged" you give the impression that it'll release at the slightest tug - this is not the case. An ST (for example) is not going to just fall off if there's a gust of wind.

 

I'm sure it won't but, to be fair, it's not my wording but theirs. I didn't give all the numbers but the page on the Flints website which I linked to has this as its first paragraph:

 

For work at ground level the helmet must come off easily if snagged. The chin strap, if fitted, must release at 25daN, around 25kg. It must conform to EN397. For work at height the helmet must remain on the head during impact and the chin strap must withstand more than 50daN and conform to the mountaineering standard EN 12 492.

 

and the Petzl page for the ST has a similar line. What confused me was Flints saying that the chinstrap on a helmet for work on the ground must release at 25daN, which would mean the Best, with a breaking strength greater than 50 daN (EN12492), would not be suitable. I got a bit lost between the two standards and what was suitable for what, hence all the mumbling on in my second paragraph. bbscuk I think was similarly unsure:

 

There are a number of helmets to EN 397 but the chinstraps aren't designed for work at height and vice versa.

 

I probably should have just asked a couple of short questions to be clearer...

 

The difference between an EN397 and an EN12492 chinstrap is frankly something that will only come into play in the most bizarre and unlikely circumstances. Each standard has plumped for what is thought to be the best option most of the time, and inevitably there's a bit of a compromise there - there are circumstances (even when working at height) that you'd really want the chinstrap to release, and also (even on the floor) that you really wouldn't.

You can use a Vertex Best on the ground ... you should carry out a PPE assessment to select and provide the most appropriate PPE

 

Thanks Seano and Chris for your explanations, they will assist me with said assessment.