WARNING! - KEP riding hat safety - please open

[Tiddlypom]

OP, are you a BHS Gold member? Maybe you can get some advice as to how to proceed from their legal helpline? Also contact H&H news dept? They may want to follow it up.

Thanks for posting about this, its shocking how the hat has come apart, it's a bit like a chocolate orange splitting up into segments.

 

[keepitugly]

I saw a pony rider have a crashing fall through a fence in the collecting ring last year and her KEP hat smashed up, she was down for quite a while but I think she was okay, definitely concussed, I remember saying to myself then I would never ever get one. Strange thing is a lot of parents saw this fall yet most of the kids are still wearing KEPs!

 

[MozartK]

Just a quick update.....I spoke with KEP Italia this morning and informed them of my accident and that their hat had fallen apart on impact. They told me that they do not deal with customers directly and will only deal with the distributor. They told me to follow procedure and to take the hat back to the shop I bought it from, they will return it to the distributor, who will then return it to KEP. KEP will then carry out an investigation and will either offer me a new replacement hat or they will repair the old one!!! I am absolutely lost for words!!!

Thank God this hat carries a UK kite mark and that hopefully someone from Trading Standards will be interested enough to make a full investigation and inspect what's left of the hat!

 

[MozartK]

I saw a pony rider have a crashing fall through a fence in the collecting ring last year and her KEP hat smashed up, she was down for quite a while but I think she was okay, definitely concussed, I remember saying to myself then I would never ever get one. Strange thing is a lot of parents saw this fall yet most of the kids are still wearing KEPs!

I wonder if they reported this. After speaking with KEP and now knowing their procedure, it would be really easy to cover up an incident like this. I know for sure, that this is one incident that wont be covered up!

 

[ester]

Repair the old one.................

 

[Doormouse]

Just a quick update.....I spoke with KEP Italia this morning and informed them of my accident and that their hat had fallen apart on impact. They told me that they do not deal with customers directly and will only deal with the distributor. They told me to follow procedure and to take the hat back to the shop I bought it from, they will return it to the distributor, who will then return it to KEP. KEP will then carry out an investigation and will either offer me a new replacement hat or they will repair the old one!!! I am absolutely lost for words!!!

Thank God this hat carries a UK kite mark and that hopefully someone from Trading Standards will be interested enough to make a full investigation and inspect what's left of the hat!

Don't think I will be buying one after seeing the hat and then hearing their response.

Glad you were ok, could have been very serious.

 

[MozartK]

OP, are you a BHS Gold member? Maybe you can get some advice as to how to proceed from their legal helpline? Also contact H&H news dept? They may want to follow it up.

Thanks for posting about this, its shocking how the hat has come apart, it's a bit like a chocolate orange splitting up into segments.

Although not a BHS member, I think I will give them a call anyway just for their opinion or any advice. I did think of H&H but am wary, as the issue has not been investigated. Should I hit a brick wall with Trading Standards then I think that is the time to approach equestrian media.

 

[MozartK]

Repair the old one.................

Yip, that's exactly what I thought!

 

[MozartK]

Repair the old one.................

Yip, that's exactly what I thought!

 

[MozartK]

Trading Standards called me back this morning. He explained to me that some types of protective headwear (cycling/motorbike helmets) are designed to disintegrate on impact, absorbing the impact preventing the wearer from more serious injury. I said that this technology may be suitable for cyclists etc. but would seriously question whether this 'crumpling' technology would be suited to a horse riding helmet. I explained that potentially there is a risk of a secondary much harder impact, after the initial impact caused the helmet to disintegrate. This secondary impact could be the horse itself or a horses hoof. If this occurred, then in a situation where a hat has 'crumpled', the rider would take the secondary impact of the horse or hoof without a helmet on their head! He agreed that this is potentially a serious issue that it should be investigated.

However, due to lack of funding it is unlikely this incident will be investigated, with it only being one incident. He is very keen to take this further but needs me to 'canvass' and gain support from governing equine bodies. He said that having more cases of failed hats would help build a case for further investigation, failing that then having the backing of governing equine bodies to help fund testing. Testing would involve TS purchasing a new KEP helmet and subjecting it to various impact tests etc. to determine whether they are designed to crumple on impact, whether the design is flawed, whether the materials of composition are inadequate or whether my hat was a faulted hat.

So, I have spoken to BHS and they are extremely interested. They have asked me to email all information and pictures of the hat. They will come back to me with a response and whether they are willing to back this project.

Who else should I contact? I'm thinking;

BE, BS, BD and H&H

Does anyone have any other ideas? Does anyone have any contacts they think I should speak to?

I know this will be hard work and it would be easier to walk away and get on with life........but I look at the remains of my hat and I just cant walk away!

 

[dibbin]

That's terrifying. Glad you're relatively uninjured though!

 

[milliepops]

can't help you with any ideas, my mind has gone blank, but just wanted to say well done for being so persistent I think it's important to pursue this if you can. Especially as the hats are so expensive - they should offer the same degree of protection as the bog standard ones.

 

[rachel_s]

Trading Standards called me back this morning. He explained to me that some types of protective headwear (cycling/motorbike helmets) are designed to disintegrate on impact, absorbing the impact preventing the wearer from more serious injury. I said that this technology may be suitable for cyclists etc. but would seriously question whether this 'crumpling' technology would be suited to a horse riding helmet. I explained that potentially there is a risk of a secondary much harder impact, after the initial impact caused the helmet to disintegrate. This secondary impact could be the horse itself or a horses hoof. If this occurred, then in a situation where a hat has 'crumpled', the rider would take the secondary impact of the horse or hoof without a helmet on their head! He agreed that this is potentially a serious issue that it should be investigated.

However, due to lack of funding it is unlikely this incident will be investigated, with it only being one incident. He is very keen to take this further but needs me to 'canvass' and gain support from governing equine bodies. He said that having more cases of failed hats would help build a case for further investigation, failing that then having the backing of governing equine bodies to help fund testing. Testing would involve TS purchasing a new KEP helmet and subjecting it to various impact tests etc. to determine whether they are designed to crumple on impact, whether the design is flawed, whether the materials of composition are inadequate or whether my hat was a faulted hat.

So, I have spoken to BHS and they are extremely interested. They have asked me to email all information and pictures of the hat. They will come back to me with a response and whether they are willing to back this project.

Who else should I contact? I'm thinking;

BE, BS, BD and H&H

Does anyone have any other ideas? Does anyone have any contacts they think I should speak to?

I know this will be hard work and it would be easier to walk away and get on with life........but I look at the remains of my hat and I just cant walk away!

No contacts but copy in your MP to all correspondence. Might be worth writing to ROSPA and BSI ( or whichever Standard it is)

 

[teapot]

Does anyone have any other ideas? Does anyone have any contacts they think I should speak to?

I know this will be hard work and it would be easier to walk away and get on with life........but I look at the remains of my hat and I just cant walk away!

Pony Club, RDA (might be able to help you with that one) and the HPA.

I say the HPA as I noted on the Kep website they make a polo specific one and given I saw someone take a mallet to the head on Saturday...

 

[MyBoyChe]

Following this with interest as we all have to trust and rely on our hats being up to the job. Im sure I remember reading somewhere that a riding hat should be changed every 4-5 years. I note the OP says she bought it in 2008 but didnt start using it until 2012. Im sure the reasoning behind changing it was something to do with the internal structure beginning to deteriorate. This makes me wonder whether it should have been sold in the first place. Is there, or should there be a shelf life to hats? I am absolutely not an expert but just wondering if the integrity of the hat may have been partly compromised by age even before the accident?

 

[Fuzzypuff]

Also try the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund as they do offer some advice on choosing hats etc http://www.mdirf.co.uk/

I *think* also in the past they used to do their own testing on hats as I remember looking at tables that tested some of the hats available at the time (this was a few years ago) and being a bit surprised at which ones came out top (not necessarily the more expensive ones, but this was before all the lightweight ones really took off) and I chose my hat based on those results as well as the kitemark.

 

[MozartK]

Omg that is horrendous. Just as a comparison, I took a big lump hammer to my old Charles Owen show jumper hat. I couldn't make a noticeable dent in it never mind crack it.

KEP seem happy to FB me but I cant seem to get them to chat on the phone. However, this is taken from their FB reply;

"We are ready to stand behind our helmets and to talk about how important it is to wear helmets when riding, or even when being around a horse. We are glad that Mrs. @Andrea Smith was wearing a helmet when she fell, and we feel she should be happy that the helmet broke like that, because this is what helmets are done for: break instead of your head. We cannot say that by wearing a helmet a rider is 100% safe, but we can state that good quality helmets contribute deeply into saving lives when riders fall and have head concussions".

So, they are saying that the helmet is designed to fall apart on impact. The issue then becomes, as horse riders, are we ready to accept that and buy a KEP hat? Do we accept that the breaking of the helmet will save us from further injury and take the risk that the horse wont fall on top of us, or its hoof wont strike our head after we lose the hat? Secondly, are any other helmets designed to do this or is it just this one?

 

[ester]

I presume from that they have seen the pics?

 

[ester]

Following this with interest as we all have to trust and rely on our hats being up to the job. Im sure I remember reading somewhere that a riding hat should be changed every 4-5 years. I note the OP says she bought it in 2008 but didnt start using it until 2012. Im sure the reasoning behind changing it was something to do with the internal structure beginning to deteriorate. This makes me wonder whether it should have been sold in the first place. Is there, or should there be a shelf life to hats? I am absolutely not an expert but just wondering if the integrity of the hat may have been partly compromised by age even before the accident?

OP bought it in 2012, but it had a 2008 manufacturer date in it. I know we have had some discussions about that before and I will always check actual age in the future.

 

[comet!]

Aside from the fact the hat is in pieces, so not repairable, I'm shocked a manufacturer considers it acceptable to suggest it might be possible to repair a hat. Don't most manufacturers recommend that a hat is replaced after a fall even if the hat doesn't appear damaged?

 

[Cragrat]

Op- glad you survived, albeit with bruising- it could have been worse if hoof had hit your head after your hat fell apart

Re: the age of the hat- I recently (a month ago) bought a charles Owen four star. Being a geek, I read ALL the small print that came with it, and it clearly said that 'modern hats do not deterioate sat on the shelf'. I don't know what they class as 'modern'. I suppose you could ask KEP how long a 2008 hat was expected to remain viable whilst in the shop?

 

[kate2323]

mine fell apart too - the front panel fell off after i was knocked by a young horse...really plasticy and shoddy...the actual helmet part as fine but KEP did'nt want to know......

 

[sarahann1]

Hope it's ok OP, I've linked your photo bucket account on my FB page to warn others, those hats are a disgrace! Glad you're not badly hurt.

 

[Kat_Bath]

Good on you for not letting this go. I hope you gain momentum and manage to get something done.

I don't like style of hat at all. And one of the reasons I dislike it even more now is the attitude of the manufacturer in that message. Disgusting and almost full of denial.

I fell off last year and out of interest, contacted Champion about whether they could take it apart for me and show me the inside. They obliged so I sent it back and they sent me their evaluation of the damage. It was both amazing and horrifying as, on the outside, it just seemed like the coating had cracked. Their customer service was great and they were really helpful. And in taking my hat apart to show me the damage, they're showing that their hats do work.

KEP have glossed over the fact that their hats actually don't work so I hope you sock it to them. Good luck.

ETA: Also, the wording about breaking instead of your head makes me feel a bit sick. It may just be a language thing but that's not right. AFAIK, hats are designed to take the impact of a bang to the head and therefore, minimise as much damage to the head as possible. Not break and leave you open to any second impact which could be worse than the actual fall itself. Raging on your behalf.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

thats appalling, glad you are ok OP. I went face first fall in to a cemented xc step the other week, hit it head on and my charles owen 4 star took a scrape but i walked away fine, sure I would have had serious injury in my other hats and would have been killed without one (not that I would ever ride without one). Going back to buy another next week as I now don't trust other hats!

 

[DressageCob]

There are many things which are designed to be destroyed on impact, so as to save the user. For instance the front bumper of a car. And also cycling helmets. That design certainly has its place. However, I'm concerned that an equine equipment manufacturer would think that design appropriate for use by a horse rider. The initial impact with the head on the ground (or on whatever it hits on the way down) can be pretty severe. However, there is a massive risk of a further (more severe) impact with the hoof or the body of the horse. If your hat disintegrated in the first impact, in the second you'd be screwed. I'm shocked they don't appreciate that.

As it happens, I would never buy a KEP hat in any event. The price is one deterrent. The greater one is, however, when I was at a show last year there was a shop selling KEP (and other) helmets. As someone was looking at a helmet they knocked a KEP one off the stand. It hit the floor and broke into pieces, with the front panel (the one which protrudes) split from the rest. If that's what happens in a fall of no more than 5 feet from stationary, I didn't fancy finding out what would happen at speed with a fall from my horse!

 

[MozartK]

Thanks for all the ideas regarding organisations to contact. So far this is the progress I have made;

BHS - It has been passed onto Senior Exec of Safety
BE - Passed onto National Safety Officer and Sports Operations Mgr
H&H - Passed onto News Editor

I am waiting to hear back from the above.

Other organisations I will be contacting are;

Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund, PC, BS, BD, BRC, RDA, HPA, Jockey Club and any others you can think of.

I have sent them a description of the fall, photographs of the hat and have raised their awareness to the following issues;

1) Was my hat a faulty hat, made from substandard materials or was it designed to disintegrate on impact?
2) If the hat is designed to do this, as confirmed by the manufacturer, is this technology acceptable for a horse riding helmet? Obviously pointing out the risk of a much larger secondary impact after the rider's initial fall and the hat disintegrating.
3) If some of the new designs of helmet are designed to disintegrate on impact, should that be evident when marketing the product? Should the consumer have the right to choose whether he/she exposes their bare head to a much larger secondary impact?
4) Should the manufacturing date of the helmet be clearly visible on the helmet and packaging? Should a hat that is already 3 years old be on sale in a shop? Should hats have a shelf life if materials of construction deteriorate over a period of time?

Hopefully, someone, somewhere will be interested!

Also, KEP have decided they would like to speak with me directly.....so watch this space!

 

[MozartK]

Hope it's ok OP, I've linked your photo bucket account on my FB page to warn others, those hats are a disgrace! Glad you're not badly hurt.

No problem, I don't mind you sharing these pictures at all.

 

[MozartK]

mine fell apart too - the front panel fell off after i was knocked by a young horse...really plasticy and shoddy...the actual helmet part as fine but KEP did'nt want to know......

It is people like you that are going to add weight to this situation. Trading Standards have asked me to canvass and find other people like yourself who have suffered a similar incident with one of these hats. If anyone else that hasn't already posted, has had a similar experience then please post, as I will be showing Trading Standards this thread containing these comments. The more incidents the better as it may mean that TS will carry out an investigation.

 

[MozartK]

I presume from that they have seen the pics?

Not yet but they soon will. I emailed the pictures to their distributor as KEP wouldn't deal with me directly!