KENYA STANDARD       KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
  ICS 13.030.30; 13.340.20  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Health care wastes management 
commodities  
 
Part 2:  
 
Helmets — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
©KEBS 201 8         First Edition 201 8 
 
 
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT  
 
 KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
ii                     © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  NATIONAL WORKSHOP REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented  on the National Workshop Agreement Meeting.  
 
City Council of Nairobi  
Coast Provincial General Hospital  
Nursing Council of Kenya  
Kenya Medical Supplies Agency  
Kenyatta National Hospital  
Ministry of Medical Services  
Kenya Expanded Progrmme of Immunization  
Reprentative, Rural Health Facilities  
Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation  
Government Chemist 's Department  
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital  
Path-Kenya  
Christian Health Association of Kenya  
Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation — Office of the Chief Public Health Officer   
Ministry of Medical Services — Office  of the Chief Nursing Officer  
Ministry of Medical Services — Office of the  Director of Medical Services  
Kenya Medical Scientific Technical Officers Ass ociation  
Kenya Medical Research Institut e 
Kenya Bureau of Standards  — Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed. Suggestions 
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Direc tor, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2012  
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyr ight 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and exce pt as provided under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in  writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 
 
 KENYA STANDARD                                                             KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
ICS 13.030.30; 13.340.20  
 © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved            iii  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Health care wastes management commodities  
 
Part 2:  
 
Helmets — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254  020) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020)  604031  
E-Mail: inf o@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org   
 
Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu -40100        P.O. Box 2138, Nakuru -20100  
Tel.: (+254  041) 229563, 230939/40  Tel.: (+254 057) 23549, 22396        Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555  
Fax: (+254  041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814  
 
 KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
iv                     © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  Foreword  
 
This Kenya National Workshop Agreement Standard has been prepared by the National Workshop 
Agreement Meeting under the supervision of the Standards Projects Com mittee , and it is in accordance with 
the procedures of  the Kenya Bureau of Standards.  
 
A helmet  is a form of protective gear  worn on the head  to protect it from injuries.  
Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., English policeman's helmet ) without protective function are somet imes 
used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900  BC, who wore thick leather or 
bronze helmets to protect the head from blunt object and sword  blows and arrow  strikes in combat. Soldiers 
still wear helmets, now often made from lightweight plastic materials . 
In civilian life, helmets are used for re creational activities and sports (e.g., jockeys  in horse racing , American 
football , ice hockey , cricket , baseball , and rock climbing ); dangerous work activities (e.g., construction , 
mining , riot police ); and transportation (e.g., motorcycle helmets  and bicycle helmets ). Since the 1990s, most 
helmets are made from resin  or plastic , which may be reinforced with fibers such as aramids . 
During the development of this National Workshop Agreement, referenc e was  made to the following 
document:  
KS 963:1990,  Industrial safety helmets – Specification.  
This assistance is hereby acknowledged.  
 
  
KENYA STANDARD        KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
 
© KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved                      1  
 
 
Health care wastes management commodities  
 
Part 2:  
 
Helmets — Specification  
 
 
 
 
1 Scope  
 
This part of this National  Workshop Agreement specifies the requirements and test methods for the helmets 
for use by the medical waste handlers . 
. 
2 Definitions  
 
For the purpose of this Workshop Agreement , the following definitions and those th at are covered by KS 963, 
Specificatio n for industrial safety helmets  shall apply . 
 
2.1 
waste commodities  
these are devices used to safegu ard a person against hazards or injury during  handling,  segregation,  storing 
,transportation and disposal of the wastes that are produced in the day t o day  provision of health care  
 
2.2  
helmet(s)  
these are head gears used for  protection against hazards , injury likely to arise from handling of medical 
wastes  
 
2.3 
harness  
the complete assembly that provides a means of maintaining the helmet in position on th e head; and/or of 
absorbing kinetic energy during an impact  
 
2.4 
cradle  
the assembly of the parts of the harness in contact with the head, excluding the headband and nape strap  
 
NOTE  A cradle may be either fixed or adjustable.  
 
2.5 
wearing height  
the vert ical distance from the lower edge of the headband to the highest point of the headform on which the  
helmet is mounted, measured at the front (midway between the sides of the headform) and at the sides  
(midway between the front and back of the headform), wh ichever gives the greater distance  
 
2.6 
external vertical distance  
the vertical distance between the top of the headform on which the helmet is mounted and the highest point  
on the outside surface of the helmet shell   
 
NOTE  This represents the height of th e outer surface of the shell above the head when the helmet is worn, and relates to clearance 
under low roofs etc.  
 KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
                              © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  2 2.7 
internal vertical distance  
the difference in level of the highest point on the outside surface of the helmet shell when the helmet is  
mounted on the headform:  
 
a) with the cradle present; and  
 
b) with the cradle and any protective padding in the crown area removed, so that the shell rests on the  
headform.  
 
NOTE  This represents the height of the inner surface of the shell above the head whe n the helmet is worn, and relates to stability.  
 
3 Requirement  
 
3.1 Materials  
 
The materials shall be of heavy duty plastic or fibre glass. The recommendations for the general 
considerations of construction of helmets shall be as given in KS 963 . 
 
The shel l shall have a uniform as much as is possible. The outer surface shall be smoothly finished and 
rounded.  
 
The profile at the front edge of the shell shall not prevent the wearing of spectacles or goggles.  
 
The harness shall be made of a material that allow s washing and disinfection without causing any 
deteriorations and its integrity. The harness shall be detachable from the helmet.  
 
3.2  Vertical and Horizontal Clearance  
 
When measured under the conditions describ ed in 6.4, of KS 963 , the vertical clearanc e shall not be less 
than 5 mm and not more than 50 mm, and the horizontal clearance  shall be in the range 25 -50 mm.  
 
3.3 Wearing height  
 
When measured under the conditi ons stated in 6.4 of KS 963 . The wearing height shall not be less than : 
 
— 80 mm for hel mets mounted on headform D , 
— 85 mm for helmets mounted on headform C , 
— 90 mm for helmets mounted on headform K.  
 
3.4 Mass  
 
The mass of complete helmet, including harness and without accessories shall not exceed 400 g when 
measured to nearest 30 g. Should  it exceed this limit, then it shall be shown on a label attached to the 
helmet.  
 
3.5 Colour  
 
The helmet shall be yellow in colour.  
 
3.6 Shock absorption  
 
When tested by the method described  in 6.5 of KS 963 , at low and high temperatures and in moist 
condi tions, the force transmitted to the headform shall not exceed 5.0 gN or the deceleration of the 5 kg shall 
not exceed 100 gN.  
 
3.7 Resistance to penetration  
 
When the helmet is tested by the method descri bed in 6.6 of KS 963 , the point of striker shall not  contact the 
surface of the headform.  
 KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
© KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved           3 3.8 Flame resistance  
 
When test ed in accordance to 6.7 of KS 963 , the material of the shell shall not burn with the emission of 
flame after a period of 5 s has elapsed after the removal of the flame.  
 
3.9 Electrical s hock  
 
When tested in accordance with the method descri bed in 6.8 of KS 963 , the leakage current shall not exceed 
1.2 mA.  
 
This requirement is intende d to ensure protection from vol tages  of up to  440 V. Helmets claimed to meet this 
requirement shall so stat e in the labels in accordance with the labelling  clause.  
 
3.10 Lateral rigidity  
 
When tested in accordance with the method described  in 6.9 of KS 963 , the maximum lateral deformation of 
the helmet shall not exceed 40 mm, and the residual deformation shall not exceed 15 mm.  
 
4 Test requirements  
 
4.1 Samples  
 
Helmets shall be submitted for testing in the condition in which they are offered  for sale, including any 
requisite holes in the shell, and other means of attachments of any accessories for special purpo ses. 
 
No helmet that has been subjected to testing shall be offered  for sale. The minimum number o f samples 
required for one test  is as follows:  
 
 1 helmet for shoc k absorption at -10 °C (or at -20 °C) , 
 1 helmet for shoc k absorption test in moist conditions , 
 1 helmet for shoc k absorption at +50 °C, then for flammability test , 
 1 helmet for resistance to penetration  test, 
 1 helmet for electrical insulation test , 
 1 helmet for lateral rigidity  test, 
 1 helmet for resistance to penetration test at low temperatures . 
 
4.2 Conditioning for testing  
 
4.2.1  Conditioning cabinet  
 
This shall be sufficiently large to ensure that the helmets can be positioned so that they do not touch one 
another or the sides. The cabinet shall be fitted with a fan to provide effective air circulation.  
 
4.2.2  Pre-conditioning  
 
All helmets shall be pre -conditioned for at least 7 days at temperatures of 20 % ± 2 °C and a relative 
humidity of 65 % ± 5 % before applying the following individual conditioning  treatments.  
 
4.2.3  Low temperature  
 
The helmet shall be exposed to a temperature of −10 % ± 2 °C for not less than 4 h. When especially 
required, the temperature  shall be reduced to −20 % ± 2 °C.  
 
4.2.4  High temperatures  
 
The helmet shall be exposed to a temperature of 50  % ± 2 °C for not less than 4 h.  
 KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
                              © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  4 4.2.5  Moisture  
 
The helmet shall be sprayed  externally with water at 20  °C ± 2 °C  at a rate of 1 L/min for not less than 4 h.  
 
4.3 Headforms  
 
4.3.1  Headforms used in the tests shall be either hard wood or metal.  
 
4.3.2 The profile above the reference line shall be as shown Figures 1 and 2 and given in Table 1. The 
profile below the reference line may be varied to suit the method of mounting.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1 — Headform elevations  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
© KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved           5  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 2 — horizontal half -sections at the datum levels  
 KS 2409 -2: 201 8 
 
                              © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  6 Table 1 — Polar coordinates of horizontal half -sections of headforms lettered D, G and K  
 
 
 
5 Packaging and labelling  
5.1 Packaging  
i) helmets shall be packed in waterproof materia l either singly or in nested forms; and  
ii) the single helmet or nested ones shall then be packaged in cartons.  
 
5.2 Label ling 
 
Helmets shall be indelibly and legibly marked with the following information in either Kiswahili or English:  
 
i)  number of this Workshop Agreement;  
ii)  country of origin ; 
iii)  name of manufacturer ; 
iv)  type of helmet (manufacturer’s designation). This shall be marked on both the shell and the 
harness.