Fire Safety Helmets: Types, Fit and When to Replace Them

On a fire ground, things fall. Plaster comes off a ceiling, a window frame drops from the floor above, someone swings a crowbar a little too close. Your helmet is the only thing between your skull and all of that, and it works only if it is the right helmet, it fits and the chin strap is done up.

What can hurt your head

Falling debris and collapsing ceilings, knocks against low beams in thick smoke, tools and equipment swinging around you, radiant heat, hot water and embers, and chemical splashes. Firefighters, rescue teams, ambulance crews at accident sites and industrial fire teams all face some mix of these.

Types of safety helmets

• Structural firefighting helmets are made for work inside burning buildings. They resist heat and flame and usually carry a visor or face shield.
• Rescue helmets are lighter and smaller, for road accidents, rope work, collapses and floods, where heat matters less.
• Industrial safety helmets, the hard hats seen on factory and construction sites, protect against falling objects. They are not built for fire.

Choose by the job, not by the price or the look.

Impact protection

A helmet takes a blow by spreading the force through the shell and soaking it up in the harness or liner inside. After a heavy blow, some of that capacity is used up, even if the shell looks fine. When you buy, check the impact rating and the standard marked inside the shell.

Heat and flame

Structural firefighting helmets use heat-resistant thermoplastic shells and flame-resistant padding such as Nomex. Heat ages a helmet. Bubbling, softening, discolouring or a melted edge mean it should come out of service.

Face and eye protection

Many fire helmets take a visor, face shield or goggles to protect against debris, chemical splashes and radiant heat. A visor does not replace a breathing apparatus mask in smoke. Check that whatever you fit works with your BA mask and does not push the helmet out of place.

Fit and comfort

An uncomfortable helmet gets pushed back, loosened or taken off. Adjust the headband so the helmet sits level and firm and does not tip when you bend, and fasten the chin strap every time. Each wearer should have the helmet set up for their own head.

Radios, lamps and visibility

Some helmets have mounts for radio headsets and torches, which make it easier for a crew to talk and work together. Reflective strips or fluorescent colours help the crew see each other in smoke and at night. Fit only accessories the maker approves. Drilling holes, painting the shell or sticking on labels the maker does not allow can weaken it.

Care and inspection

• Inspect the shell, harness and chin strap before every shift.
• Look for cracks, dents, heat marks, chalky or faded patches and frayed straps.
• Clean it as the maker says, with mild soap and water if nothing else is given, and never with solvents.
• Keep it out of direct sun. A vehicle dashboard in an Indian summer ages a helmet fast.
• Find the date of manufacture inside the shell and follow the maker’s service life.
• Replace it after a major impact or heat damage, even if it looks fine.

Training

New staff should be shown how to adjust and inspect their helmet, how it works with the visor, BA mask and hearing protection, and what to do after a blow to the head. Practise putting the full set on together. A helmet that clashes with your mask will end up loosened.

After a blow to the head

Stop work and tell your officer, even if you feel fine. Headache, vomiting, confusion or drowsiness in the hours after a blow need urgent medical attention. Call 108 or 112 for a serious head injury.

Before your next shift, turn your helmet over and look inside. Check the date, the straps and the shell. If it is past its life or has taken a hard knock, ask for a new one.