Healthy helmet 2: the follow-up

Last Updated: January 30, 2009 10:01 AM  

Ron Kuipers The Equipment Guy

I wrote an article recently about general helmet maintenance, including a suggestion to make sure the helmet is CSA (Canadian Standards Association) certified and that the helmet hasn't passed its expiration date.

A reader wanted to know if there's a rule for a helmet that is no longer CSA certified or has expired.

There is a rule dealing directly with the CSA certification question and I'll share it with you in a moment, but first, an explanation from Anthony Toderian, the Senior Media Relations Officer of the CSA Group, as to why our children wear CSA certified helmets in the first place.

"The CSA is a not-for-profit, non-government, membership-based association. Compliance with all CSA standards is voluntary unless legislated by government or mandated by industry or trade associations," said Toderian.

"Health Canada's Hazardous Products Act references the CSA standard for hockey helmets and Hockey Canada states in their rule book that all players must wear a CSA-certified helmet."

The evidence to back-up Toderian's statement is on page 35 inside the Hockey Canada Official Rule Book:

Section 3 Equipment
Rule # 3.6 Protective Equipment (e)

"If the Referee's attention is drawn to the possibility that a facial protector or helmet may not be certified (CSA approved), or if the Referee observes that a facial protector or helmet may not be certified, and should that piece of equipment in effect turn out not to be certified, the Referee shall assess a Minor penalty and at the same time order that illegal piece of equipment removed from the game."

If you're a coach or trainer, it might be a good idea to send a quick email to your team asking everyone to check for the CSA sticker which can be found at the back of most helmets.

Expiration date

While you're checking, you might notice an HECC sticker on your son's or daughter's helmet as well. 

The HECC or Hockey Equipment Certification Council is an American organization and it's the one responsible for the expiration date found on some Canadian helmets, not the CSA. 

"The CSA standard for hockey helmets does not contain requirements outlining an expiration date," said Toderian. 

"As long as your helmet is in good working order without visible damage or suspected damage it should be eligible for continued use in Canada."

So what happens if you head south to play hockey with your Canadian-bought, CSA certified helmet which has an expired HECC sticker on the back?

"If you play any games in the U.S., it will be at the discretion of the hockey association's there or tournament organizers to determine if they will allow you on the ice if your HECC certification has expired," said Toderian.

"It is best to check with tournament organizers before playing in the U.S."

And before your next game here in Canada, you might want to check with CSA International for a number of hockey helmet safety tips at www.csasafetytips.com

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