How to Test Hockey Helmets

Crunching hits and bone-jarring collisions are some of the reasons why people love hockey. They're also the very reasons why so many hockey players suffer concussions. Regularly testing hockey helmets helps manufacturers understand which models, materials and construction methods provide the most protection. The American Society for Testing and Materials F1045 Standard Performance Specification for Ice Hockey Helmets was instituted to reduce the risk of concussions without threatening the constitution and allure of the game. Hockey helmets should be tested based on the amount of area they protect; the strength, slip and stretch properties of the chin strap; shock absorption, and the quality and potency of the protective material used in the helmets' construction.

Things You'll Need

  • Dummy head
  • 9-pound weight
  • Cable
  • Official hockey puck
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Instructions

    • 1

      Expose hockey helmets to extreme hot and cold temperatures, according to the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. For the low temperature, subject the hockey helmet to a temperature of minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 19 degrees Celsius for at least two hours. For the high-temperature test, place the helmet in temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 39 degrees Celsius for at least four hours. Don't leave the helmet in heat conditions for longer than a day.

    • 2

      Hang a 9-pound weight on the chin strap when connected to the helmet's locking apparatus. This will help you evaluate the strength, slip and stretch properties of the chin strap. Then, drop the 9-pound mass connected to the chin strap from a height of 1.5 feet. Follow this test by dropping the weight from a height of 3 feet. The retention system should not snap and not stretch more than 1.25 inches. Make sure to test the helmet in both hot and cold conditions.

    • 3

      Attach the hockey helmet being tested to a dummy head to simulate the different sizes and chin-bone structures of a human head. The human head, on average, represents 8 percent of a person's total body mass. Find a head form that is representative of the head size and weight of the age group or person being tested for by calculating 8 percent of their total body mass. Drop a 9-pound weight connected to the back edge of the helmet with a cable -- not to exceed 1.5 feet in length -- from a height of 2 feet to test the helmet's ability to remain stable after a jarring hit. The helmet should not fall off the dummy head during this test.

    • 4

      Shoot an official hockey puck at the helmet while the helmet is stabilized --- ensure it will not move when a force is applied to it --- testing its structural integrity when subjected to high-velocity impact.

    • 5

      Drop the helmet with the dummy head securely strapped inside onto a solid, level surface to test the impact absorption properties of the helmet liner. Perform the impact test at hot, cold and room temperatures to check if the helmet can withstand an impact that satisfies requirements set forth by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.