New Petzl helmet. FAIL!

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That is not a good thing. Foam is looking like not a good idea.

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Foam has been used in various helmets for years. This looks like an issue of using the wrong foam for helmet applications.

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Yea I agree with you Tom...said it a different way I was thinking.
 
Foam vs. Suspension

I have used the Petzl Meteor for Rec climbs since last February, so almost a year and the foam is holding up fine. My work helmet is the Petzl Vertex.

I have ridden bicycles for forty years (ten years more than tree work) and have seen the evolution of helmets in that time. The concept of foam is to crush in the process of absorbing a shock load upon impact, lessening the deceleration force on your head and preventing fractures and what are known as 'coup - contrecoup' injuries to the brain and durae surrounding the brain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_contrecoup_injury

Once there is an impact which compresses the foam, the helmet is done - time to replace it. I had a bike accident and the foam in the helmet saved my noggin; the impact gave me a rather decent headache, but that was better than a brain bleed or skull fracture.

On a rec climb, while fooling around and taking flying leaps from one part of a tree to another if I hit my head and crush the foam I can quit for the day.

In a work situation say a widow-maker bounces off my helmet and I survive without a work-stopping injury I'm still done for the day if it is foam and I do not have a spare. If it is a suspension helmet I can continue working (as long as the suspension points are still non-deformed).
 
I didn't realize Peztl tried to copy Kask with foam...

Has Petzl done foam before?
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I didn't realize Peztl tried to copy Kask with foam...

Has Petzl done foam before?
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Petzel has done lots of foam earlier with no problems at all, so I think its only gonna be a question of time before its fixed.
 
Petzl released 2 helmets that look very similar but has 2 different protection systems. The Alveo has the foam lining and the Vertex has the suspension strapping. They're marketing the Alveo to arborists on the website but I don't see why we couldn't where either or.
That's how I understand it. I hope that helps.
 
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I guess I should've watched the video...

still dont know why they have the pic that they do on the site.

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Yea I see that now as well...those in that pic are of the vertex...strange why they did that.
 
OY! It's getting hard to trust any manufacturers any more...

Is Petzl a public company? I hope not. Life safety companies should definitely not be publicly traded.

Public companies have NO motivation to provide good service or products... they are in the business of funneling money to stockholders, period. Everything else, including quality and service are by-products of that solitary goal. Doesn't mean quality and service can't be had, but only if they produce revenue for stockholders to graft.
 
I agree that the foam lining SHOULD make the Alveo rated for side impact, but from the pictures I've seen it appears the foam is mainly located on the crown portion of the helmet. Which would indicate to me that it would mainly be for top impact.
It looks like the Vertex has a 6 point suspension harness with chin strap. Would that not make it rated for side impact?
 
Thank you all for your contributions on this forum.

Until we have analyzed the helmet in question, we can’t provide a precise answer to Familytree concerning the rupture of the lateral fins of the foam on his Alveo Vent. However, we would like to point out a few things:

> The Alveo Vent helmets sold during TCIA were production units and standards compliant. They were not prototypes.

> The foam used for the Alveo helmets is the same kind used in other Petzl helmets, such as the Elios and Meteor III.

> The Alveo helmets have been intensively tested to comply with both European and American standards:

>> During EN12492 shock testing (5 kg mass falls 2 meters on -30°C helmet), cracks appear in the foam, but there is no breakage in the fins, as shown in the pictures. This EN 12492 test measures the ability of the helmet to dissipate energy. Helmet with this shell / foam construction absorbs energy via foam deformation and breakage, which explains the presence of cracks after this test.

>> When conducting lateral deformation tests (optional requirement of EN397), we have not seen rupture of the lateral fins of the foam.

We are very surprised by the damage shown in Familytree’s photographs and are currently awaiting more information about this particular Alveo Vent and the use leading up to this damage.
 
Justin @ Petzl,

Thanks for taking the time to register and reply. I appreciate that as I am sure others do.

You could be a great asset here at TreeBuzz if you were to contribute regularly.

Hope to see you around in the future.
 
I'm impressed that you've contributed.

I'll be more impressed if this is only a singular event and we don't end up with another Kask/Kong issue. Petzls always done good by me, I hope to see that trend continue
 
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