Section 9 - Retirement and Replacement
Impacts
Any helmet should be removed from service if it has sustained a substantial blow from falling objects. The same would be true if the wearer has fallen and his head and helmet impacted the ground. This may seem to be an overly cautious action; however, it is well to err on the side of safety. The cost of replacing a helmet is much lower than that of lost time injuries. When in doubt, take it out of service.
Heat
This is a tougher call to make in removing a helmet from service. However, should a thermoplastic helmet experience blistering/bubbling due to high heat exposure, remove it from service. Remove any helmet that is exposed to direct flame. Carefully examine composite helmets exposed to high heat for potential surface cracking/crazing due to the exposure. The composite shell should remain rigid when you attempt to flex the material. Any cracking sounds and ease of flex are signs of weakened material. Again err on the side of safety.
Time
This may be one of the most dangerous conditions that goes undetected for retiring equipment. Perception is that a helmet should last the career of a firefighter. Plus, there is the element of the tried, seasoned veteran or "60 mission" look that most firefighters like. Helmets can and are kept in service often well past their useful life. The only savings is that most of them are never called upon to take a severe impact so the degradation is never realized. All elements of the firefighter’s ensemble will and do "wear out". Frequent inspection with trained/educated eyes are needed to determine if a helmet can remain in service. These inspections should increase in frequency and their level of scrutiny as helmets get older. Just because it looks OK does not always hold true. Remember two important points: Looks can be deceiving, and it is your head that could be exposed. Is it really worth it? I would rather have that great, worn, battle scarred memento adorning my home mantel as a conversation piece than my tombstone.
Replacement Costs
First, helmets should not be high maintenance. Typical replacement elements like a visor, goggles, ear cover or brow pad are about all that you should impact your expenditures. The best measurement should be that when the replacement costs exceed 50% of the original cost of the complete helmet, you should consider replacing the entire helmet.
Standards and Upgrades
Helmet standards are revised about every 3-5 years depending on issues proposed during the last revision cycle. Some revisions have had major impact on the design and or performance of certain elements; others have made only minor changes.
A helmet certified to comply with a specific revision of a standard cannot be upgraded to "certified compliance" of a new revision. That is not to say that you cannot upgrade your helmet. It simply means that an existing helmet in the field cannot be "re-certified" to a new revision. Depending on the nature of changes in the revision of the Standard, it may or may not be possible to upgrade an existing helmet to make it perform comparably to a new one.