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afety helmets and hard hats have been protecting people in one form or another for thousands of years. From their humble beginnings as battle armour in 2500BC to today where their use is much more widespread, they have stood the test of time. These common safety items offer far more than you realise in terms of protection, and Mips would like to provide you with guidance on what that means in terms of the modern safety helmet and why our mission is leading the world to safer helmets.
CENTURION SAFETY PRODUCTS
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Mips helmet technology is now available in construction hard hats
Head protection in construction What do hard hats offer in terms of protection, what materials are they made from, what standards are they tested to and how are those standards changing? This CPD, in partnership with Mips, explains
Let’s talk plastic HDPE or ABS or PP – which is best? l HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): This is the most common plastic used to make hard hats/safety helmets, versatile with good chemical and impact resistance. l PP (Polypropylene): This is the second most commonly used plastic in the world and has good chemical and impact resistance also a high melting point. l ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): This is a thermoplastic with good impact resistance and compression qualities. It also has good chemical resistance. So, what type of plastic is best? Most plastics are tested using different methods but here are two examples. l An Izod impact strength test: A pivoting arm is raised to a specific height and then released. The arm swings down hitting a notched sample, breaking the specimen. The energy absorbed by the sample is calculated from the height the arm swings to after hitting the sample. A notched sample is generally used to determine impact energy and notch sensitivity.
24 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FEBRUARY 2022
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