Helmets Standards, Certification and Regulations

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Helmets Standards, Certification and Regulations

• Ian Brodie, MSc.
• Project Manager
• September 19, 2006
• Smart Risk Learning Series

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Agenda

• Helmets
• Types of Helmets
• How helmet absorbs an impact
• Standards
• What is a standard?
• Standards system in Canada
• Who develops standards
• Helmet Standards
• Common requirements
• Comparison of bicycle helmet standards
• Certification
• Types of certification
• Helmet Regulations in Canada

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Helmets

• Two types of helmets
• Single impact
• Multi-impact
• Components of a helmet
• Outer shell
• Liner
• Retention system
• Comfort padding/adjustment system

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Types of Helmets
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Components of a Helmet

• Outer shell
• Increases the area over which the force is
  dissipated
• Aids in letting the helmet side along the surface
  during an impact
• Holds the liner together during an impact
• Helps prevent the penetration of sharp objects
• Liner
• Absorbs the force of an impact by deforming
• Retention system
• keeps the helmet on your head
• Comfort padding/adjustment system
• Assists in fitting the helmet properly

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Overview of Standards

• Standards in general
• information documents
• stipulate requirements for the safety,
  performance and operation of products, processes,
  services and systems
• outline industry guidelines and good practices
• represent minimum requirements
• are voluntary compliance becomes mandatory only
  when the standards are referenced in legislation
  or regulation

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Types of Standards

• Organization Standards (e.g. CSA)
• National Standards of Canada
• Bi/Tri-nation Standards
• International Standards (ISO, IEC)

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What can Standards Do?

• Standards serve a variety of market perfecting
  purposes
• product uniformity
• establish consistent technologies
• promote compatibility of products
• ensure desired quality and performance levels

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National Standards System

• Independent organizations accredited by the
  Standards Council of Canada
• Standards Development, Certification, Testing,
  and Registration
• Members must be impartial and technically
  competent
• SCC operates accreditation programs

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Standards Development Organizations
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Helmet Standards

• Impact testing
• Helmet is placed on a headform, equipped with an
  accelerometer and dropped from a defined height
• The helmet will be impacted at various locations
  (e.g., crown, front, side, rear)
• The accelerometer will measure how well the
  helmet attenuates the impact
• The standard will define the pass/fail criteria
  for the acceleration reading (e.g., 275 g, were 1
  g 9.8 m/s2)
• Helmets are tested at different temperatures

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Helmet Standards drop rig
Key 1 base 2 anvil 3 velocity sensor 4 headform 5
follower mechanism 6 monorail
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Helmet standards drop rig
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Helmet Standard area of coverage

• Specifies the area that a helmet must cover on a
  headform
• Area of coverage differs between
• Standards for the same type of helmet (e.g.,
  cycling)
• Different types of helmets (e.g., hockey vs.
  cycling)

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Helmet Standards area of coverage
Hockey Helmet
Cycling Helmet
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Helmet Standards retention system

• A force is applied to the retention system to
  assess
• If the fastener releases
• The elongation of the retention system

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Helmet Standards - retention system
Test Apparatus
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Helmet Standards Other Tests

• Stability test
• Assesses the ability of the helmet to stay on the
  headform
• Used in the CSA cycling helmet standard
• Penetration test
• Object of defined sized is inserted into opening
  in the shell to see if contact can be made with
  the headform
• Used in the CSA hockey helmet standard

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Certification

• Two types of certification
• Third party certification
• is undertaken by an organization that is
  independent of the manufacturer seeking
  certification.
• Self certification
• the manufacturer or producer himself takes
  responsibility for certifying conformity of the
  product.

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Certification Third Party

• An accredited third party test lab verifies
  product meets the standard
• There are annual reviews/inspection of production
  product to confirm product is still meeting the
  standard
• The lab issues the manufacturer certification
  labels to affix to the product
• There are costs to the manufacturer to receive
  third party certification

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Certification - labels
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Certification Self Certification

• The manufacturer is giving assurance that the
  product conforms to a specific standard
• For industry, self certification means
• Decreased costs
• Avoids the duplication of testing when the
  product is being sold in different countries
• Reduces the regulatory burden

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Certification - Helmets

• Third party certification
• CSA
• SNELL
• Self certification
• ASTM
• CPSC
• DOT
• For the most part, helmets available for sale are
  self certified by the manufacturer

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Which Helmet for Which Activity
Source City of Ottawa
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Multi-purpose helmets

• There are
• Manufacturers making claims that their helmets
  meet multiple standards (e.g. CPSC bicycle helmet
  standard and the ASTM F1492 Skateboard helmet
  standard)
• Standards where the scope states the intended use
  is for more than one type of recreational
  activity (e.g., SNELL standard for Non-motorized
  vehicles, CEN 1078, Helmets for pedal cyclists
  and for users of skateboards and roller skates )

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Regulations and Market Realities in Canada

• Regulations
• Hazardous Products Act (Health Canada)
• as it relates to consumer products, consists of
  two parts. Items included in Part I of Schedule I
  are banned from import, sale, or advertisement in
  Canada. Products included in Part II of Schedule
  I must meet specific regulations in order to be
  imported, sold or advertised in Canada.
• Provincial Traffic Acts
• provinces reference standards that a motorcycle
  or cycling helmet must meet
• Sport Governing Bodies

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Regulations and Market Realities in Canada

• Market realities
• Large percentage of helmet manufacturers are
  outside of Canada
• For the most part, helmets are not required to
  meet any standards
• Exceptions
• Hockey helmets (reference in Hazardous Products
  Act)
• Cycling helmets (where there is provincial
  legislation)
• Motorcycle helmets
• The industrys preference is to self-certify
  their helmets
• The dominant standards being used are
• Hockey - CSA
• Cycling CPSC
• Motorcycling Department of Transportation (DOT)

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Questions and Comments