Head Protection
Safety Helmets Slotted V-Gard
Safety Helmets Slotted V-Gard is a group of 15 IMPA-coded items (codes 310101–310115) under Head Protection in the Safety Protective Gear section (IMPA 31). All of them are priced per piece.
Buying guide
Slotted safety helmets (hard hats) are the everyday head protection for deck and engine crew: mooring, cargo work, maintenance aloft and in the engine room. The side slots take clip-on earmuffs and face-shield frames, so one helmet serves several jobs. "V-Gard" in the group name is a manufacturer’s model name used by the IMPA guide; the group covers slotted helmets with interchangeable suspensions.
The chief officer or the safety officer orders them at crew change, when helmets are damaged or reach the end of their service life, and when visitors and contractors need spare helmets. Shipowners must supply PPE to seafarers free of charge under UK rules, which is why helmets are a ship’s-stores item and not a personal purchase.[1]
How to specify it
State the standard the helmet must be marked to — EN 397 for European and UK practice, ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 for US practice — and any optional properties needed, such as electrical insulation or very low temperature. Electrical work may call for a helmet to EN 50365.[1][2][3]
Give the colour per rank or department if the company uses a colour code, the suspension type (pin-lock or ratchet), whether chin straps are to be supplied, and the quantity per colour. If earmuffs or visors are to be fitted, order them in the same requisition and name the helmet model so the clips match.
Rules and certificates
UK guidance under the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (PPE) Regulations 1999 (MSN 1870 Amendment 6) lists industrial protective helmets to EN 397 for any activity with a foreseeable risk to the head from falling objects, bump caps to EN 812 where the risk is bruising or abrasion, and marine safety helmets to PAS 028 for small fast craft.[1]
The same notice requires PPE to be provided free of charge, to fit or be adjustable to fit, to be compatible with other PPE worn at the same time, and to be stored, maintained and regularly inspected in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.[1]
In US workplaces OSHA 29 CFR 1910.135 requires protective helmets where there is a risk of head injury from falling objects, and accepts helmets meeting ANSI Z89.1 (1997, 2003 or 2009 editions) or equally effective devices.[2]
Britannia P&I advises wearing the chin strap, inspecting the helmet before and after use, withdrawing it after a significant impact, and not applying stickers or modifications that could weaken the shell; service life follows the manufacturer’s recommendation and company policy.[3]
Questions buyers ask
- How long can a safety helmet stay in service?
- Follow the manufacturer’s stated service life and the company’s policy, and withdraw any helmet after a significant impact or visible damage, as Britannia P&I advises.
- Can a firefighting helmet be replaced with an ordinary safety helmet?
- No. The fire-fighter’s outfit helmet is a separate, approved item; Britannia P&I notes that firefighting uses helmets to a different standard (EN 443).
Sources
Published by Sherif Awad, founder of GeoMarineHub — in ship supply since 1990, a family business since 1981 (45 years). Last checked .
At a glance
Part of Safety Protective Gear (IMPA section 31): Personal protective equipment — helmets, gloves, goggles, hearing protection, respirators, harnesses.
It is one of 19 groups under Head Protection; the others include Chin Protectors, Communication System integrated in Fire Fighter Helmet, Faceshield Frames and Visors, Fire Fighter Helmets, Helmet Mounted Headset and 13 more.
Post the ones you need as a requirement and verified suppliers activated at your port bid on them — sealed, so nobody sees another bid.
- Items
- 15
- IMPA codes
- 310101–310115
- Priced
- per piece
Items
Also under Head Protection
- Chin Protectors
- Communication System integrated in Fire Fighter Helmet
- Faceshield Frames and Visors
- Fire Fighter Helmets
- Helmet Mounted Headset
- Helmets Vanguard for Lateral Protection
- Replacement Suspensions
- Safety Caps Slotted V-Gard GREEN
- Safety Hats Slotted V-Gard
- Safety Hats Slotted V-Gard GREEN
- Safety Helmets Integrated with Spectacle/Visor
- Safety Helmets Reduced Peak Linesman
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