PPE - Shelf Life

[Ed79]

Last night I went out to one of the barns to checkout what PPE we have. We have a few old "Cam-Hi Safety caps" with Peltor muffs and shields and a few pair of older husqvarna chaps. I picked up one of the Caps and flexed it and it shattered in my hands, obviously all my caps are done. Are the Chaps garbage as well? these caps were stored in a heated area out of light and were never abused, they all looked perfect but once flexed shattered. Is there a recommended shelf life on PPE equipment?

 

[Nailgunner]

As far as helmets go, my best information is that they will store indefinitely or until superceded by new requirements, once put into service they last three years and must then be decomissioned. Chaps, etc - not sure, I'd ask the manufacturer about these, but new ones will certainly be better than old ones.

I'm wondering why the helmets shattered. They are usually made of polyethylene but if made of polycarbonate, they could have degraded in response to solvent or fuel fumes. this can cause rapid embrittlement and render helmets useless very quickly. how old were they? there should be a date stamp moulded into them somewhere.

 

[Ed79]

As far as helmets go, my best information is that they will store indefinitely or until superceded by new requirements, once put into service they last three years and must then be decomissioned. Chaps, etc - not sure, I'd ask the manufacturer about these, but new ones will certainly be better than old ones.

I'm wondering why the helmets shattered. They are usually made of polyethylene but if made of polycarbonate, they could have degraded in response to solvent or fuel fumes. this can cause rapid embrittlement and render helmets useless very quickly. how old were they? there should be a date stamp moulded into them somewhere.

I looked at the last remaining cap and there is a stamp on it with "89" so I am guessing these caps were all purchased in 89. They shouldn't have shattered like that, I was wearing one of those this spring to do clean up, am glad I didn't "need" it. Fuel is stored well away from these caps and I don't clean my equipment with it either.

the chaps were all purchased mid 90's and were purchased at the local husqvarna shop. I know there older but they haven't seen much use.

 

[The Lorax]

UV light degrades plastic, and probably a number of other factors affects the lifespan as well, exposure to oil, solvents etc.
I have seen on some helmets a date stamp and sometimes a UV sticker that slowly changes to inform the user that the helmet has absorbed a specified amount of UV light and must be replaced.
I guess it depends on how much you value your head, a helmet is about €30 here, a hospital visit costs at least twice that.
Old PPE should be checked and binned if over 5 yrs IMO.

 

[Fish]

The ones with "Stihl" on them last a lot longer..........


Seriously, a helmet that shatters is not a good thing. Contact the
brand that was on the helmet and save the remains, but do not talk about
the age. From just the liability aspect, they might replace them.
In the liability standpoint, these guys don't fool around. Like Briggs
and leaking fuel tanks. Doesn't matter if it is from abuse, they warranty it...

Anyone telling you that sunlight degrades them is silly, even if true, as you don't cut wood at night. I would give them a call, but definitely keep us in the loop here on the forum...

Do the old plastic chainsaw handles shatter when we start cutting a big log?

 

[toddstreeservic]

I do inspections for Challenge courses and rock climbing towers and most manufacters say 10 years for helmets. Plastic is degraded by the elements and becomes brittle over time. Check your gear on a regular basis.

 

[slowp]

Plastic hardhats do indeed have a shelf life. Plastic degrades. The speed of the degradation depends on what it is exposed to. Heat, sun, weather, all will speed it up. We replace hardhats every three years. Flexing it was the thing to do, and you found out it was no good. We used to wear the McDonald metal hardhats, but those dented easily and dents affect the strength, not to mention get you a fine from the safety people out in the woods. Plastic will last longer in our wet, cool climate than in Arizona.

Amazingly enough, my plastic hardhat is a lot heavier than the old tin hat.

 

[Mike PA]

Hard hats absolutely have a shelf life. Temperature fluctuations, extreme heat or cold, and UV light are prime contributors to brittle hats. OSHA inspectors also look at the date stamped on the hat. Anything over 5 (I believe) is no longer in compliance. All PPE will have a shelf life. However, kevlar chaps probably will be fine, as long as they were kept dry. Even steel toe boots have an expiration date. A good rule of thumb for boots is when the writing gets worn off the tag on the inside of the tongue, it is time to replace.

BTW - metal hats are also not OSHA approved because of electrical conductance.