Safety Helmets: A Complete Buying Guide

Key Features: What Should a Safety Helmet Have?

A safety helmet or hard hat, in addition to being robust enough to absorb impacts and other mechanical forces, must also be lightweight, well-ventilated, adjustable, non-irritating, and equipped with a neck strap to ensure stability during more dynamic tasks. The helmet should include a shell-shaped dome, an edging, and a sweatband. The edging must allow for width adjustment.

The helmet must be compatible with other personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary: some helmets are designed to accommodate visors or ear defenders. The helmet must be CE marked, certifying that it meets adequate protection requirements in accordance with harmonized standards.

Safety helmets are required for all jobs where there is a risk of falling objects from above, such as:

• Construction work, especially above, below, or near scaffolding and elevated work areas, assembly and disassembly of formwork, installation of scaffolds, and demolition operations;
• Work on steel structures, prefabricated, and/or industrialized buildings;
• Work in trenches, pits, wells, and tunnels;
• Earth and rock works, blasting and earthmoving operations;
• Work on elevators, hoists, lifting equipment, cranes, and conveyor belts.

Which Safety Helmet to Choose and Why

To answer this question, it's important to first understand what each type of safety helmet is really for. We always refer to the UNI standards:
The Legislative Decree 81/2008 defines which activities require mandatory use of personal protective equipment (PPE). For example, in sports activities, PPE is not mandatory and individuals assume the risk; however, in work activities, regulations apply depending on the task, and each requires specific protective equipment. For instance, bricklayers must use a certified helmet equipped with accessories to prevent it from falling off during work and compliant with the UNI EN 397 standard, including a chin strap.

Safety Helmet Regulations by Application

Below is a list of the main UNI standards:

• UNI 9484: Headgear for scalp injury protection
• UNI 11114: Protective helmets
• UNI 7154-1: Work helmets – Classification, requirements, and tests
• UNI 7154-2: Work helmets – Special dielectric helmets
• UNI 7154-3: Work helmets – Flame-resistant helmets
• UNI 7154-4: Work helmets – Helmets with high lateral rigidity
• UNI EN 146: Respiratory protective devices. Powered filtering devices incorporating helmets or hoods. Requirements, testing, marking
• UNI EN 397: Industrial safety helmets
• UNI EN 443: Helmets for firefighters
• UNI EN 812: Industrial bump caps
• UNI EN 960: Headforms for testing protective helmets
• UNI EN 966: Helmets for air sports
• UNI EN 1080: Impact protection helmets for young children
• UNI EN 1384: Helmets for equestrian activities
• UNI EN 1385: Helmets for canoeing, kayaking, and whitewater sports
• UNI EN 11114: PPE - Protective helmets - Selection guide
• UNI EN 12492: Mountaineering equipment – Helmets for mountaineers – Safety requirements and test methods
• UNI EN 13087-1: Protective helmets – Test methods – Conditioning
• UNI EN 13087-2: Protective helmets – Test methods – Shock absorption
• UNI EN 13087-3: Protective helmets – Test methods – Penetration resistance
• UNI EN 13087-4: Protective helmets – Test methods – Retention system effectiveness
• UNI EN 13087-5: Protective helmets – Test methods – Retention system strength
• UNI EN 13087-6: Protective helmets – Test methods – Field of vision
• UNI EN 13087-7: Protective helmets – Test methods – Flame resistance
• UNI EN 13087-8: Protective helmets – Test methods – Electrical properties
• UNI EN 13087-10: Protective helmets – Test methods – Radiant heat resistance
• UNI EN 14052: High performance industrial helmets
• UNI EN 14458: Personal eye equipment – Face shields and visors for use with firefighter helmets and high-performance industrial safety helmets for firefighting and emergency services