Dear Seniors , Is it Necessary to change safety helmet after 3 years ( expiry date) though externally it looks without any damage? Thanks Abhay
From India, Thana
18From India, Thana
Dear Abhay,
There is no rule anywhere to do so. However professional advice is to do with reason.
While OSHA does not indicate a hard expiration date for hard hats, they do expire and become less effective over time. Sun can damage the plastic material. Sweat, liquids and other substances encountered in your daily job may cause your hard hat to deteriorate over time. If your hard hat shows any form of damage or experiences an impact event, you will want to replace it. After all, it is cheap insurance for your most valuable head!
MSA is the leading manufacturer of helmets. Their reputation is high.
Bullard is the one that invented helmets and they produce high value helmets.
There recommendations are reproduced here.
MSA V-Gard: “The V-Gard helmet was designed with high quality, wear-resistant materials but it WILL NOT last forever. The protective properties of the helmet WILL be degraded by exposure to many common work environments, such as temperature extremes, chemical exposure, sunlight and normal daily wear and tear. MSA recommends the following replacement schedule:
• Suspension—replace after NO MORE THAN 12 months;
• Entire Helmet—replace after NO MORE THAN 5 years
Remember that these are MAXIMUM useful service life guidelines. Wear or damage noticed during a regular inspection MUST be the determining factor for possible earlier replacement. In any case, ALWAYS replace the helmet after it has withstood impact or penetration.”
BULLARD: “Users of industrial head protection devices must realize that these products do not have an indefinite useful life. Bullard recommends that a regular head protection replacement program be conducted by employers as a responsive solution to the task of addressing service life of hard hats/caps. Since the details of such a program must be developed based on work conditions at each job site, it is impossible to provide a specific time frame for cap replacement. As a general guideline, many large corporations replace all employees’ caps every five years, regardless of the cap’s outward appearance.
Where user environments are known to include higher exposure to temperature extremes, sunlight or chemicals, hard hats/caps should be replaced automatically after two years of use. This is based on information and cap samples returned to Bullard after exposure to such conditions. In certain rare instances, a cap may need to be replaced within less than two years.
If a cap has been struck by a forcible blow of any magnitude, both the hard hat shell and suspension should be replaced immediately, even if no damage is visible. The following is a simple field test that can be performed by an employee or supervisor to determine possible degradation of polyethylene shells:
Compress the shell inward from the sides about 1” (2.5 cm) with both hands and then release the pressure without dropping the shell. The shell should quickly return to its original shape, exhibiting elasticity. Compare the elasticity of the sample with that of a new shell. If the sample does not exhibit elasticity similar to that of a new shell, or if it cracks due to brittleness, it should be replaced immediately.”
It is up to you decide on the basis of these recommendations.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
There is no rule anywhere to do so. However professional advice is to do with reason.
While OSHA does not indicate a hard expiration date for hard hats, they do expire and become less effective over time. Sun can damage the plastic material. Sweat, liquids and other substances encountered in your daily job may cause your hard hat to deteriorate over time. If your hard hat shows any form of damage or experiences an impact event, you will want to replace it. After all, it is cheap insurance for your most valuable head!
MSA is the leading manufacturer of helmets. Their reputation is high.
Bullard is the one that invented helmets and they produce high value helmets.
There recommendations are reproduced here.
MSA V-Gard: “The V-Gard helmet was designed with high quality, wear-resistant materials but it WILL NOT last forever. The protective properties of the helmet WILL be degraded by exposure to many common work environments, such as temperature extremes, chemical exposure, sunlight and normal daily wear and tear. MSA recommends the following replacement schedule:
• Suspension—replace after NO MORE THAN 12 months;
• Entire Helmet—replace after NO MORE THAN 5 years
Remember that these are MAXIMUM useful service life guidelines. Wear or damage noticed during a regular inspection MUST be the determining factor for possible earlier replacement. In any case, ALWAYS replace the helmet after it has withstood impact or penetration.”
BULLARD: “Users of industrial head protection devices must realize that these products do not have an indefinite useful life. Bullard recommends that a regular head protection replacement program be conducted by employers as a responsive solution to the task of addressing service life of hard hats/caps. Since the details of such a program must be developed based on work conditions at each job site, it is impossible to provide a specific time frame for cap replacement. As a general guideline, many large corporations replace all employees’ caps every five years, regardless of the cap’s outward appearance.
Where user environments are known to include higher exposure to temperature extremes, sunlight or chemicals, hard hats/caps should be replaced automatically after two years of use. This is based on information and cap samples returned to Bullard after exposure to such conditions. In certain rare instances, a cap may need to be replaced within less than two years.
If a cap has been struck by a forcible blow of any magnitude, both the hard hat shell and suspension should be replaced immediately, even if no damage is visible. The following is a simple field test that can be performed by an employee or supervisor to determine possible degradation of polyethylene shells:
Compress the shell inward from the sides about 1” (2.5 cm) with both hands and then release the pressure without dropping the shell. The shell should quickly return to its original shape, exhibiting elasticity. Compare the elasticity of the sample with that of a new shell. If the sample does not exhibit elasticity similar to that of a new shell, or if it cracks due to brittleness, it should be replaced immediately.”
It is up to you decide on the basis of these recommendations.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
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