PRO CHOICE SAFETY GEAR CATALOGUE - Flipbook - Page 19
Our range is tested and Certified to the highest standards as
required by Australian and New Zealand industries. It isn’t
just the range of models that makes our hard hat range so
adaptable, it’s the availability of the Pro Choice Safety Gear
accessories that integrate seamlessly onto all of our models.
These include attachable face shields, hearing protection and
visors to name a few.
Increasingly companies are using hard hats to identify their
company and positions within the work force. To meet this
requirement, Pro Choice Safety Gear offer a range of pad
printing and vinyl printing services that can be applied to
your hat.
Pro Choice Safety Gear hard hats are
certified to the following Australian and
New Zealand Standard:
PROTECTIVE HEADWEAR
AS/NZS 1801:1997
Lic 20500
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AS/NZS 1801:1997 Occupational
protective helmets In addition to any
instructions provided with the hard
hat users should refer to:
• AS/NZS 1800:1998 Occupational
protective helmets - selection, care
and use
A hard hat protects the head from injury by falling objects,
impact against moving and stationary surfaces, debris, bad
weather and electric shock. The internal webbing on
Pro Choice Safety Gear hard hats distributes the weight of
the helmet evenly (and therefore the shock of impact) over
the entire surface area of the helmet and top of the head. The
internal harness also provides a 50mm “buffer zone” between
the shell and the head to further absorb shock.
What is a Certified hard hat?
A Certified hard hat meets the industry Standard and has also
been tested by an independent third party in accordance with
that Standard. The benefit is knowing that claims of Standard
approval are accompanied by supporting documentation.
Pro Choice Safety Gear are happy to provide our Certification
schedule upon request.
How does a hard hat protect you?
What is the in use life span of a hard hat?
When a hard hat shows signs of wear and tear to either the
helmet shell or the harness it should be replaced. It should
also be replaced after any impact that would have caused the
wearer injury, as the integrity of the structure will have
been weakened. Although there is no set service life for hard
hats, we recommend replacement after no more than 3 years
from the date of first use.
A hard hat protects you by providing the following features:
• A rigid shell that resists and deflects blows to the head;
• A suspension system inside the hard hat that acts as a
shock absorber;
• If fitted with a Brow guard and Visor, it shields your face and
neck from splashes and debris.
• If fitted with ear muffs, it provides protection for your hearing.
REPLACE IF:
Hard hat has been in constant use for
3 or more years.
What tests do the hard hats undergo to
meet these Standards?
Every production run of Pro Choice Safety Gear helmets is
tested to ensure it complies with the
Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS1801.
Hard hats are conditioned prior to each test to differing heats
and conditions to ensure that they comply under a variety of
conditions. These are:
• Hot - at a temperature of 50 ±2°C.
• Cold - at a temperature of -10 ±2°C.
• Wet - total immersion in water at a temperature of 23 ±5°C.
They then undergo testing for:
• Electrical Resistance – where the leakage current cannot
exceed 3 mA with no electrical discharge from the material
nor flashover over the rim of the helmet.
• Stiffness – where the indent of the hard hat shell under
a force of 90 ±1 Newtons (N) does not exceed 15 mm
when measured between 8 seconds and 10 seconds after
application of this force. A Newton is the amount of force
required to accelerate a body with a mass of one kilogram at
a rate of one metre per second squared.
• Shock Absorption – where the impact of 50 ±1 Joules (J) will
not cause the deceleration of the striker to exceed 980 m/s2,
or the force transmitted to the hard hat wearer will not
exceed 5.0 kN. A Joule is the work done, or energy
expended, by a force of one Newton moving an object one
metre along the direction of the force.
• Resistance to Penetration – where the head form is not hit
by the point of the striker.
PA R A M O U N T S A F E T Y. C O M
Showing signs of wear and tear to either
helmet shell or harness.
An impact has occurred that would have
caused wearer injury.
Components of harnesses may deteriorate more rapidly in
service, therefore they must be replaced every 2 years from the
date of first use.
In use, head protection gear is generally treated with a lack of
care, often being thrown or dropped, used as a receptacle or
carried on the rear window shelf of a vehicle. None of these
actions are conducive to continued performance so Pro Choice
Safety Gear recommends users to regularly inspect both the
helmet shell and its harness for signs of wear and tear and to
store in a cool, dry place when not in use.
Replace your hard hat when:
•
•
•
•
PRO CHOICE SAFETY GEAR HAS THE UNIQUE
PROLINK ANCHORAGE DESIGN TO CONNECT
THE INSIDE WEBBING WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY
IMPROVES SHOCK ABSORPTION.
Can the effectiveness of a hard hat be
affected by modifications such as drilling
holes for ventilation or to secure a light?
Yes, the design of the hard hat is to give maximum protection
at minimum weight. This is achieved by the ridging and
moulding of the helmet shape. Any interference to the design
will weaken the structure.
Can a hard hat be painted?
No. The addition of paint or other chemical compounds such
as texter’s or permanent markers, may alter the structural and
protective effectiveness of the hard hat. The Pro Choice Safety
Gear range comes in a series of colours to suit the varying
requirements of workplaces.
Will the addition of chin straps, visors or
ear muffs affect the effectiveness of the
hard hat?
Pro Choice Safety Gear accessories such as chinstraps, ear
muffs and visors have been designed to complement the
Pro Choice Safety Gear hard hats without compromising the
effectiveness of the helmet. Official Pro Choice Safety Gear
accessories have been tested and certified by Australian and
New Zealand Standards to meet their stringent criteria, when
worn with Pro Choice Safety Gear Hard Hats.
Cracks appear in the shell
The shiny surface appears dull or chalky
The shell becomes brittle
Impact with helmet surface has been made
Replace your suspension when:
•
•
•
•
The harness works by stretching, which absorbs and
distributes the force of the energy at impact, thus minimising
the effect of the outside force.
Hard hats should be replaced after experiencing an impact as
the harness may be weakened.
Harness has been in constant use for
2 or more years.
A HARD HAT PROTECTS YOU BY PROVIDING A
RIGID SHELL THAT RESISTS AND DEFLECTS
BLOWS TO THE HEAD.
What is the importance of the harness, apart
from fitting the hard hat to the head?
PRO CHOICE SAFETY GEAR
Hard hat head protection is required on most work sites in Australia and New Zealand,
and Pro Choice Safety Gear is proud to offer an unprecedented selection of colours,
styles, ventilation and adjustments that will suit every application.
The suspension becomes brittle
One or more of the mounts break off
The suspension will no longer hold securely to the head
The cradling straps break or become worn
Date stamp? Is that like a “best before” date?
No, we are required by the Australian Standards to mark each
helmet with the month and year of manufacture. This should
not be used as a basis for determining the life of an industrial
safety helmet.
Am I able to use chin straps on Pro Choice
Safety Gear Hard Hats that are made by
another manufacturer?
This is not recommended.
Chin straps are not tested under AS/NZS 1801 for Type 1
helmets but in order to provide the best quality product, Pro
Choice Safety Gear Chin Straps are tested and certified by BSI
against European Standard EN397:1995 Industrial
Safety Helmet. Under the European Standard requirement, it
became necessary for the chin strap to break when a specific
load is applied. A Pro Choice Safety Gear chin strap may
break in a different manner to another company’s so it is
recommended that you should only use a Pro Choice Safety
Gear chin strap on a Pro Choice Safety Gear helmet.
PA R A M O U N T S A F E T Y. C O M
PROTECTIVE HEADWEAR
PRO CHOICE SAFETY GEAR
PROTECTIVE
HEADWEAR
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