Safety

Unsafe situations can exist during excursions. Therefore, it is important that everyone follows the excursion rules. Not everything can be predicted, but known situations are:

Falling rocks. This can be dangerous for yourself, but also for the person below you
Kinking ankles. Walking on an uneven surface (boulders, rocks) requires sturdy shoes and ankles
Hitting fingers. Especially when tired, this is a real risk
Splinters in eye. Especially with flint. That is also very sharp
Tide. On the coast this can be a big problem on certain occasions

What to do:

Wear safety glasses
Wear a safety helmet
Wear safety shoes
Use safe tools
Wear a safety jacket when needed.
Wear gloves
Where necessary: consider hearing protection
Think about your behaviour !

More on helmets:

Take a helmet, not a bump cap
Every helmet only lasts a certain time (UV and heat make it brittle)
This strongly depends on the material and partly on the use
Polyethylene (PE) helmets : about 3 years
Polycarbonate (PC), ABSpolymeriate (ABS) or polyamide (PA) helmets : approximately 5 years
Glass fibre reinforced polyester helmets : approx. 10 years
Always : If broken, cracked, throw away immediately and buy new. If a stone has fallen on it, you may not be able to see a crack!

Recognise your helmet:

The helmet has markings and the EN 397 mark (No 3).

Note the production date (no 1) and the type of plastic (no 4). Replace the helmet if it is too old.

There are helmets with an indicator when they should be replaced. Due to insurance reasons, a helmet whose expiry date has not passed is mandatory.

Using a helmet:

Because comfort is important, choose correct size; adjust the helmet so it does not fall off your head