Warning issued on hard hats

Some construction workers may have been supplied with poor quality counterfeit hard hats.

The British Safety Industry Federation together with hard hat manufacturer JSP have warned that sub-standard hard hats are currently circulating in the UK.

Believed to have been manufactured in Asia or the Middle East, the fake safety headwear is not an issue of brand snobbery.

Testing by JSP shows that the hard hats can be split in two by an individual with their bare hands.

Matthew Judson, JSP’s director of technical support said: “If someone had been wearing a bogus helmet and an object had fallen on their head they could be dead.”

The headgear in question are copies of JSP’s MkII safety helmet. A fake is easily distinguishable from the genuine article by looking under the peak for markings showing “Burly” and “MkII”.

Judson advised that workers should check that JSP’s name is clearly and legibly branded into the helmet, that the colour of the item is consistent and that the helmet is durable. Another clue to check for is that the user information leaflet is original, correctly spelled, in multiple languages, and with the manufacturer’s contact details listed.

A photocopy of the information, that is not square on the page, will suggest the item is counterfeit. Judson said anyone suspecting a fake helmet could contact the company on 01993826050.

www.jsp.co.uk/products/Head-Protection