Riding hat safety standards explained:
EN1384 1996 / BSEN 1384 1997 with CE mark
This standard may be found prefixed by other initials belonging to the country testing the helmet,
e.g. DIN EN1384 indicating testing in Germany. The BS prefix symbolizes that the hat has been
tested in Britain and though in theory there should be no difference, some European countries
have approved helmets that may have failed if tested in Britain.
The two standards are identical in content and were a major leap forward over the previous
British standards, offering bottom edge protection for the first time. The helmet is impact tested
almost right on the bottom edge (as opposed to 75mm up from the bottom edge on BS4472
hats) so the protective liner has to extend all the way down to the rim. This change came about
because it was found that in 25% of falls the rider did not land on the top of their heads, but on
the sides, front or back. Bottom edge protection also ensures your temples are safer. It does
include a penetration test.
This is the basic minimum standard for almost all forms of riding.
PAS015: 1998/ PAS015: 2011 with BSI mark
This stands for Product Approval Specification and was developed by the British Standards
Institute (BSI) in response to concerns about the time it was taking to develop what would
become the EN1384. The first version was formulated by looking at drafts for the European
standard and taking the highest option in each case.
After the official publication of the EN1384 in 1997 certain differences occurred between it and
PAS015, leading to the 1998 revision of the PAS015 to remove those differences and address
new areas of protection such as crush resistance and protection against injury when landing on
an edged surface. As the test line is lower at the front it tends to lead to slightly bulkier helmets.
A stability test is also included to limit excessive movement during wearing or a fall.
This has been revised in 2011 with an increased drop height and several other amendments
affecting the performance of hats. It is expected that the 1998 version will run parallel with the
2011 for 18 months.
Snell E2001
This is the newest standard, developed in America by the Snell Institute. It is a higher
performance standard which includes all aspects of ASTM and PAS 015 but with a sharper
horseshoe anvil (to replicate a horse kick or impact with a sharp surface), higher impacts and an
additional hemispherical anvil to represent an uneven but not sharp surface such as a tree,
fence or cobbled surface.
Quality Symbols
The Kitemark
The Kitemark is the registered trademark of the British Standards Institute and
can only be affixed to products certified by them. As well as complying with
the requirements of the relevant standard, e.g EN1384 or PAS 015, the mark
indicates that the company complies with a rigorous system of regulation
and testing. Companies are required to provide the BSI with unrestricted
access to their offices and factories and allow regular testing of randomly
chosen samples through batch and audit testing. Hats are only released for
sale once batch testing is completed, thus avoiding product recall.
Kitemark certification is voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time.
Thanks to BETA for the above information which is abridged from their Guide to Riding Hats. The full guide can be found at:
http://www.beta-uk.org/media/safety/download/BETA%20Guide%20to%20Riding%20Hats%20Shortened%20for%20Booklet.pdf