Aug 05, 2014

A proposed ASTM specification will fill a need for a standard ensuring that protective helmets, particularly those used in law enforcement, are tested consistently.

Once approved, ASTM WK46152, Specification for Ballistic-Resistant Head Protection for Law Enforcement Applications, will provide law enforcement and other public safety agencies with a means of establishing minimum performance requirements for protective helmets.

“Law enforcement officers require specialized head protection for a number of specific operational scenarios, such as tactical entry, crisis negotiation, active shooter response, motor patrol, watercraft operations and mounted patrol,” says ASTM member John Cronin, operations manager, personal protective equipment laboratory, HP White Laboratory Inc. “The proposed standard applies to head protection used for high risk operations where firearms may be present.”

ASTM WK46152 will define a minimum set of characteristics that should be tested and measured to evaluate the performance and suitability of protective helmets for law enforcement and public safety applications, including tactical response and disturbance control. The standard will be used primarily by law enforcement or corrections agencies to define purchasing requirements and will allow agencies to evaluate head protection from different manufacturers in a fair and consistent fashion.

Some of the specific performance criteria to be addressed in the proposed standard include the following:
 
• Ballistic protection, including perforation resistance and backface deformation resistance;
• Blunt impact resistance;
• Chin strap retention;
• Stability; and
• Other performance criteria related to life-safety, quality, durability and function.

ASTM WK46152 is being developed by Subcommittee E54.04 on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), part of ASTM International Committee E54 on Homeland Security Applications. All interested parties, particularly individuals with experience related to field use or the evaluation of head protection, are welcome to join in the ongoing development of WK46152.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

For more news in this sector, visit www.astm.org/sn-safety or follow us on Twitter @ASTMSafety.

ASTM Committee E54 Next Meeting: Jan. 26-28, 2015, January Committee Week, New Orleans, La.
Technical Contact: John Cronin, HP White Laboratory Inc., Cortland, N.Y., Phone: 603-933-3768; john.cronin@hpwhite.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Rick Lake, Phone: 610-832-9689; rlake@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #9633