KEP safety information

European CE certification

This European requirement is combined with the VG1 01.040 2014-12 standard which came into force on 1 January 2016 and represents a further development as compared to those that came before. KEP Italia was the first company in the world to be awarded this new certification for its helmets.

American and Canadian SEI certification

 

This certification is required for the American and Canadian markets and is recognised the world over. The SEI marking ensures, by means of continuous inspections that are also undertaken within the company, that the certified products are always and consistently in conformity with the type-approvals to which the certification refers, i.e. the ASTM F1163/2015 standard. In this way, they guarantee the highest quality of manufacture and traceability of the products. 

ISO 9001 certification

It is a certificate awarded to companies whose activities reflect the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard; this gives the end customer the guarantee that our riding helmets meet certain specifications and the full traceability of all stages of their production.

 KEP ITALIA has always given great importance to the quality of internal and external processes, with the aim of optimizing the organizational structure and increasing customer loyalty. The enlightened leadership in our company has ensured that we are continuously committed to adherence to our quality policy, which is translated as compliance with the requirements of the international standard ISO 9001:2015.

 From the central importance of the customer to the organization of staff and the careful control of all the stages of production of our riding helmets, the quality system adopted by KEP ITALIA allows the company to guarantee maximum satisfaction even for the most demanding riders. Through continuous improvement in all areas of activity, we work hard every day to make the best helmet ever.

TYPE-APPROVALS

A type-approval is a combination of rules with which riding helmets must comply in order to be marketed in a given country. The bodies that issue the certification are the same that certify that a determined riding helmet model conforms to these rules in all their interpretations.

The type-approvals required by other international markets are:

For Europe: VG1 01.040 2014-12, which replaces the EN 1384:2012 standard (which was not abrogated, but rather “deharmonised”; indeed, it has lost the status of required conformity but continues to exist as a CEN standard).

For the USA and Canada: ASTM F1163/2015 and SNELL E2016

For Britain: PAS015:2011

For Australia and New Zealand: ASNZS3838 or ASTM: F1163-15 or PAS015:2011 or SNELL E2016

Those countries that have not developed their own type-approvals conform to already existing standards.

KEP Italia helmets pass the tests required by VG1 01.040 2014-12 and ASTM F1163/2015, which include some of the most rigid tests in the world. Thus KEP Italia helmets, made entirely in Italy (Europe) can be marketed and used in competitions of any discipline the whole world over.

Significant investments are made in safety and KEP Italia will continue to support this area in the pursuit of one of its most important objectives: to try to provide protection for all possible types of trauma to the head by producing the safest helmets in the world.

The tests that the helmets must pass to obtain these type-approvals ensure that the helmets are able to achieve certain safety parameters and their resistance, as follows:

1.     Impact absorption test at different temperatures (room temperature, conditioned air temperature at -20°C and +50C)

2.     Penetration test (helmet resistance to penetration by foreign bodies)

3.     Helmet lateral deformation test

4.     Helmet stability test

5.     Helmets chin strap resistance test and test of the helmet movement away from the head

6.     Visor flexibility test

SAFE CHIN STRAP

The chin strap is an important element that makes a significant contribution to the high protective capacity of KEP Italia helmets.

Made in soft and durable eco-friendly leather, our chin strap undergoes specific testing to verify its resistance to breaking even when pulled with extreme force in the case of a fall from a horse.

Furthermore, the chin strap has five points of attachment to the shell, ensuring that the helmet doesn’t deviate from position on the head during a fall, continuing to protect the rider right up to impact with the ground and beyond.

 

FLEXIBLE VISOR AND LONGER NECK ROLL

The rear part of the helmet, which very importantly protects the nape of the neck, is longer than on most other helmets. This means that more of the neck is protected and less vulnerable to knocks and fractures in the case of a fall from a horse.
 
The front part of the helmet also has an important safety feature: a flexible visor. Created from elastic material, the visor ensures that the head does not absorb any direct impact in the case of a fall.

IMPACT ABSORPTION TEST

This test verifies the resistance of the helmet in the case suffering blows, such as those provoked by a fall or a kick from a horse.

The test involves the helmet being placed on a dummy head weighing between 4.5 and 6 kg, which is dropped from a height of 150 cm onto a sharp anvil. The head is made to drop several times, so that the helmet strikes the anvil in different sensitive areas. Certain sensors placed inside the dummy head record the strength of the impact of the blow, which must not exceed certain parameters. Generally, the helmet displays dents both in the outer shell and inside: this means that it was able to absorb the blows correctly.

 

PENETRATION TEST

This test verifies that the helmet shell is able to protect the head from blows by sharp objects.
 
The helmet is placed on a wooden dummy head covered with adhesive paper and then hit using a 3 kg pointed cone dropped from 50 cm, including striking the most vulnerable points, such as the air circulation grille. The helmet passes the test if there are no signs on the adhesive paper that indicate that the point managed to perforate the shell.

CHIN STRAP RESISTANCE TEST 

This test checks that the chin strap is strong enough to resist breaking and detaching itself from the helmet in the case of a fall..
 
The helmet is placed on a dummy head and a 10 kg weight is attached to the chin strap and then it is lifted and let to fall from 25 cm. This test is passed if the chin strap deformation is no more than 35 mm in increased length, with a permanent deformation of no more than 55 mm.

RETENTION TEST

This test checks that the helmet doesn’t come off during a fall and before impact with the ground.
 
The helmet is placed on a dummy head and is attached by a cable to a 10 kg weight using a hook at the back of the helmet; this weight is allowed to drop from a 17.5 cm height, exerting a frontal rotating and pulling force that could cause the helmet to come away from the head. If it says in place on the dummy head, the helmet passes the test.

COMPRESSION TEST 

This very important test verifies the helmet’s capacity to resist lateral compression, thus preventing crushing. The test involves placing the helmet between two elements in a clamp, which then exerts lateral pressure of a particular strength. The helmet passes the test if it resists a given limit of pressure.