GAA warn hurlers about ‘unsafe helmets’ and give advice on which helmets to buy

Between them, the GAA and the Consumer Protection Commission have warned hurlers about 'unsafe helmets' on the market.

Chair of the GAA's Hurling and Camogie Helmet Safety Working Group Jim Bolger was speaking at Croke Park this morning when he emphasises the importance of buying helmets from reputable sources. "Protection of players is of paramount importance to the GAA," he said. Pat Kenny is a member of the Consumer Protection Commission and speaking at the same event, he said that helmets should only be worn if they have the CE mark attached to them. "It was brought to our attention that there are helmets for sale in online market places that don't seem to meet the normal standards, in our case the European standard's for Personal Protective Equipment," he said. Old-style and replica cooper helmets are very much in fashion in hurling at the moment but they don't have this CE Mark. You will notice that, on most adult hurling teams, more than half of the players will wear these helmets even though many of them don't meet the safety standards. These standards are as follows.

• Faceguard: A safe helmet should arrive already assembled. You should not need to attach a faceguard
• CE Mark: If there is no CE mark, don’t buy it. Also look out for any signs of poor quality, such as misspellings on the branding
• Warning signs: Watch out for sharp edges, sharp points, rough surfaces, or protruding screws. Do not wear your helmet if you find any of these dangers
• Modification Do not modify your helmet in any way after you buy it. Do not cut a hole in, or remove, the faceguard

In order to reduce the risk of a serious accident such as concussion, facial or eye injury, the CCPC and the GAA encourage consumers to download the consumer guidance on helmet safety here.

Helmets which meet this requirement include Mycros, Marcs and new style Coopers, Azzuris and O'Neills editions. One would not be insured in the case of an injury if wearing helmets that don't have this CE Mark.