National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 16473:2014.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee PH/6/3, Firefighters' helmets.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 December 2014.

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 2 November 2014.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

Foreword

This document (EN 16473:2014) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 158 “Head protection”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2015 and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by June 2015.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

This document has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the European Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU Directive(s).

For relationship with EU Directive(s), see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this document.

The purpose of this European Standard is to provide minimum performance requirements for helmets designed for use for technical rescue operations and associated activities by for example firefighters, rescue and medical personnel as described in the scope. Consequently, the protective helmet should be comfortable, light and commensurate with the risks to which the rescue personnel may be exposed in order to be effective.

According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

1 Scope

This European Standard specifies the minimum requirements for technical rescue helmets. These helmets are intended to protect the upper head mainly against the effects of mechanical hazards such as impact and penetration, flame, electrical and chemical hazards while conducting technical rescue and associated activities.

Technical rescues involve the environments and conditions associated with operational scenarios such as but not limited to those found during road traffic collisions, railway incidents and when working in and around collapsed structures, often for extended periods of time, after natural disasters (flood, earthquake, etc.).

Requirements for marking and information to be supplied by the manufacturer are included.

Helmets for use while firefighting in buildings and other structures or in wildland firefighting environments, are not covered by this European Standard see EN 443 and EN 16471.

Helmets for use in water rescue operations using craft, such as boats, canoes etc., are also not covered by this European Standard.

Protection of the face and eyes, when not provided by visors, ears and neck might require additional items of personal protective equipment (PPE), which are not covered by this European Standard.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Physical requirements

4.1 Materials

4.2 Projections

4.3 Retention system

4.4 Accessories and non-integral additional protective devices

4.5 Visors

5 Performance requirements

5.1 Extent of coverage

5.2 Shock absorption

5.3 Protection against high speed particles

5.4 Penetration resistance

5.5 Retention system effectiveness

5.6 Retention system strength

5.7 Flame resistance

5.8 Lateral crushing

5.9 Thermal resistance

5.10 Field of vision

5.11 Electrical properties

5.12 Resistance to contact with liquid chemicals

5.13 Practical performance

6 Test methods

6.1 Sampling and helmet adjustment

6.2 Visual inspection

6.3 Conditioning

6.4 Extent of coverage

6.5 Shock absorption

6.6 Protection against high speed particles

6.7 Penetration resistance

6.8 Retention system effectiveness

6.9 Retention system strength

6.10 Flame resistance

6.11 Lateral crushing

6.12 Thermal resistance

6.13 Field of vision

6.14 Electrical properties

6.15 Resistance to contact with liquid chemicals

6.16 Practical performance testing

7 Marking

8 Information to be supplied by the manufacturer

BS EN 16473:2014

Firefighters helmets. Helmets for technical rescue

Current

Published:

31 Dec 2014