BETA 2009

All Airowear body protectors conform to either the European Standard EN13158:2009 or EN13158:2000 and are EC marked to show their compliance to the PPE Directive 89/686/EEC.  In addition, they are all annually retested to ensure consistency of the Standard and to conform to either BETA 2000 or BETA 2009.

Manufacturers with body protectors conforming to the BETA standards are required to annually re-test their approved garments to ensure long-term consistency in the quality of manufacture and of the shock-absorbing foam used in the construction of the garments. 

The standard which is subject to regular review sets the levels of shock-absorption offered, controls the area of the body that must be covered by the body protector and ensures that there are minimal gaps in between the foam panels.

LEVELS OF PROTECTION

There are three levels of protection to cater for different activities and users.

No Body Protector can prevent serious injury in certain accidents, but you can improve your chances of staying safe and reducung the severity of injuries by making the right choice.

	Level 1 - Black Label
	Protectors providing a lower level of impact protection that is only considered appropriate for licensed jockeys while racing.
	Level 2 - Brown Label
	Protectors providing a lower than normal level of protection that is only considered appropriate for use in low risk situations. These DO NOT include riding on roads or other hard surfaces, riding over jumps, riding young or excitable horses or riding while inexperienced.
	Level 3 - Purple Label
	Protectors providing a level of protection that is considered appropriate for normal horse riding, competitors and for working with horses. Protectors to this level should prevent minor bruising that would have produced stiffness and pain, reduce soft tissue injuries and bruising, and prevent a limited number of rib fractures.

SHOULDER PROTECTORS

Riders often suffer injuries to other parts of the body when falling on the shoulder.

The BETA  Standard is also designed to test against a fall on the point of the shoulder which is stronger than the rib cage and a different shape. For this reason shoulder protectors are subject to a different test, even when an integral part of a Body Protector.

All styles of Airowear body protectors come with the option of detachable shoulder protectors except for the Zippa Plus where they form part of the garment.  Wearing shoulder protectors can reduce the liklihood of injury to the shoulder or collar bone area by up to 30%. 

SEI Certification

Download SEI Certification (369 Kb)

SEI approved helmets have a proven efficacy of preventing or reducing the severity of head injury. Our Technology section will explain how helmets work, how they are designed and how the standards are created and monitored.

What is SEI?

SEI is the Safety Equipment Institute, a not-for-proft organisation that provides certification services for protective equipment in a number of areas, including labouring clothing, chemistry lab equipment and head protective products.

What does SEI do?

SEI serves as a coordinator and administrator for product certification programs. For a given product, SEI selects the existing standard that they believe is most appropriate for the product, selects a quality auditor to review and critique the manufacturer's manufacturing procedures, selects the test lab where the products will be tested, and arranges for periodic follow-up quality audits and product checks. For equestrian helmets, SEI has selected ASTM standard F1163 as the most appropriate standard for evaluating performance of the helmets. SEI has chosen W.A. Golomski and Associates as the quality auditor, and Intertek Testing Services (ITS) as the test lab for equestrian helmets.

Why is SEI certification important?

Because of the rigorous procedures for obtaining SEI certification, the consumer can be sure that any product bearing the SEI mark is manufactured to stringent requirements. Random samples of the product are tested periodically by the SEI-contracted lab, so the manufacturer must be certain that every single product they produce will satisfy all of the testing requirements. Products certified by SEI can be depended on for consistency, quality, and measurable performance. In the case of equestrian helmets, every helmet bearing the SEI mark must be capable of satisfying the impact and retention requirements of the ASTM standard, which has been proven to reduce the risk of head injuries in equestrian activities. Every equestrian helmet manufactured by Troxel is fully certified by SEI; we will not sell helmets that are not SEI-certified.