<b>Safety Information</b>

Current CategorySafety Information

Information on Helmets.
Information on Vests.

Certification of Equestrian Helmets

To make clear the differences between equestrian helmets certified to AS/NZS 3838 and those claiming conformance to EN 1384.
To investigate appropriate actions to discover if helmets claiming EN 1384, do in fact conform.

Differences Between AS/NZS 3838 & EN 1384

While the testing regime of the current editions of AS/NZS 3838 and EN 1384 provide broadly similar levels of protection (the AS/NZS is a little more stringent than the EN), the real difference, at present, lies with the certification regime in place.

Under the European system, an equestrian helmet is a medium risk product, and the certification ("CE Mark") can be applied on the basis of a single test, with only the manufacturer responsible for any ongoing conformance. No one checks up on them.

Under the Australian system, certification by SAI GLOBAL is quite different. Not only does the model have to be shown to fully comply, but also the manufacturer is visited regularly by technically trained auditors, who examine the system of manufacture to ensure that relevant controls are in place. Further, each batch of helmets must be tested and pass all tests at an independent laboratory before it leaves the manufacturer's premises.

SAI Global believes these differences are so significant that riders should take them into account when purchasing and wearing helmets. This table summarises the differences we see between AS/NZS 3838 and EN 1384.

	AS/NZS 3838	EN 1384
Type of Certification	Standards Mark	CE Mark
Manufacturer Visited	YES (2 day audit)	NO
Use of Independent Test Labs	YES	NO
Quality System Requirements	YES (audited regularly)	NO
Traceability of Helmets to Raw Materials	YES	NO
Each Batch Independently Tested	YES	NO
Mandatory Follow up of Complaints	YES	NO
Ongoing Certification Administered	YES - SAI Global	NONE

Proposed Action

SAI Global does acknowledge that its stricter certification regime under AS/NZS 3838 does add a little to the cost of a helmet, but then the question that should be asked is, how much is your head (or your child's head) worth?

Protective Vest For Riders - The Unfortunate Truth

Protective vests for horse riders are becoming more and more popular. A good thing? -- Yes, more protection for riders is a good thing. Body protectors are designed to help prevent minor bruising, reduce significant soft tissue injuries and prevent some types of rib fractures. But how "protective" are the vests on the Australian market right now?

The British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) has since the mid 1990's taken "responsibilty" for protective vests for horse riders. There was a standard called SATRA at that time, but it was a low level standard based only on jockey needs only due to their special weight needs. Also SATRA was seen as almost a self approval process (no compulsory independent on-going testing, or factory accreditation). So BETA took on the role of writing standards for body protection for all types of horse riders, and also took on the role of overseeing the standards and having the vests independently checked over time. BETA saw it necessary to introduce 3 levels of vests.

BETA 2000 - Current Vest Standards

Level 1, Black Label
Protectors providing a lower level of protection that is only considered appropriate for licensed jockeys. Level 1 provides significantly less protection than a Level 2 garment as it is designed to meet the weight of licenses jockeys while racing. It is not intended for general horse riding.

Level 2, Brown Label
Protectors providing a lower than normal level of protection that is only considered appropriate for use in low risk situations. These DO NOT include riding on roads or other hard surfaces, riding over jumps, riding young or excitable horses, or riding while still inexperienced.

Level 3, Purple Label
Protectors providing a level of protection that is considered appropriate for normal horse riding, competitions and for working with horses. The Level 3 vests is equal to the EN 13158 vest standard with the addition of on-going independent testing and supervision.

What Does A "SATRA Approved" Vest Mean??

The SATRA standard was designed in the early 1990's for Jockeys and is equal only to the Level 1 - BETA Standard above. This means it is tested to only the lowest of the test levels. It is recommended for JOCKEYS ONLY (who have special weight considerations) and are "NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL HORSE RIDING". Further, vests "approved" to SATRA are not subject to compulsory on-going independent testing or supervision. SATRA, after initial testing, is almost a self approval process.

The Unfortunate Truth is that there are many "SATRA" vests on the Australian market today. Our research suggests that "SATRA" vests are probably the number one market seller. The problem we see is that these are being bought for general riding, probably by riders under the misapprehension that these vests offer the higher levels of protection. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Also we believe that riders would be surprised to learn that SATRA vests are NOT subject to on-going independent testing. To prove this point, we recently sent a protective vest claiming SATRA approval to an independent lab for testing to the SATRA standard it claimed to meet. The lab tested the vest in 10 different positions, and the vest FAILED EVERY SINGLE TEST. This is what can happen where safety products are not independently certified and tested by independent test labs on an on-going basis. Overall, we believe there is sufficient reason for sellers of SATRA type vests to be very cautious in the advice they give to their customers.

What Vest To Buy??

BETA recommends Level 3 vests "protectors providing a level of protection that is considered appropriate for normal horse riding, competitions and for working with horses". Or in other words, for general horse riding, you should be wearing a BETA Level 3 vest. The European Standard for protectors is EN 13158, but unless it carries the BETA Level 3 purple label, it is not subject to compulsory on-going testing and accreditation, so we say "don't buy an EN 13158 only vest". And because SATR vests are equivalent only to the much lower Level 1 test standard and are not subject to compulsory on-going testing at independent labs, (and our tests show what this can mean) we think riders wanting a vest designed for general riding should NOT BE buying a "SATRA approved" vest. Even if the vest states for General Riding, if it only states SATRA, then it is still only tested to the Jockey Level 1, - which BETA states "is not intended for general riding".

There is a USA Standard on protective vests - SEI/ASTM F-1937-04. But the standard is similar to only Level 1 testing (and therefore we cannot recommend it) but at least the Safety Equipment Institute of the USA tests the vests on an on-going basis as well as Cartifying the manufacturer.

If you are buying a protective vest, we believe you should choose a BETA Level 3 Vest, (with the purple label as per the previous page) as this is the only Level considered by the independent body, BETA, as "appropriate for normal horse riding". And you have the further security knowing that the vests are subject to on-going independent testing. For more information, check out BETA's website at http://www.beta-uk.org/Safety/ProtectStandar.asp