CSA-approved ski helmets could be on slopes next winter if makers act promptly
The Canadians Standards Association can’t say if Natasha Richardson would have survived if she had been wearing a CSA-approved helmet during her fatal ski accident in March.
The actress died from a brain injury she sustained after a fall while skiing at Quebec’s Mont-Tremblant ski resort.
“There’s no way of knowing whether it [a helmet] would have protected her,” association spokesman Anthony Toderian said Thursday.
“We hope Canadians recognize that these type of injuries can occur on a ski hill and hope that they protect themselves accordingly.”
Toderian made the comment during a tour of the association’s suburban Montreal facilities where officials demonstrated equipment used to test helmets for alpine skiing and snowboarding.
He also said if manufacturers act promptly, association-approved helmets could be on the slopes in time for next winter.
The association has developed a new standard for helmets and is now ready to provide testing for certification of the protective headgear.
“It’ll be up to manufacturers to determine if they meet all the requirements, how soon they can manufacture them and get them to retail outlets,” Toderian said.
“If manufacturers submit helmets to us now, we can begin testing and they can have the products on the market for the next ski season.”
‘If manufacturers submit helmets to us now, we can begin testing and they can have the products on the market for the next ski season.’ —Anthony Toderian, CSA
Helmet-makers have no obligation to meet the requirements or submit their products for certification.
The “uniquely Canadian” ski-helmet standards were established by a technical committee made up of experts that included members of the medical community.
The standards had been in the development for two years.
There are also American and European standards for ski helmets.
But Toderian points out that in some cases, the standards are self-certified, which means the manufacturers test the helmets themselves.
“And there’s no third party going in to confirm that the helmets actually meet the standards,” he added.
“In some cases, there are absolutely no standards and someone is just making a helmet and putting it on the market and they’re saying it offers protection.”
Toderian says the new CSA-standard is designed to offer “some of the best protection and some of the most rigorous standards that have been developed for recreational alpine skiing and snowboarding.”
Could reduce risk of head injury by 60%
Helmets bearing the CSA-certification mark can also be used for other winter sports like tobogganing.
Toderian stresses that no helmets can offer 100 per cent protection from death or injury.
But CSA-approved helmets can offer basic protection from concussions and serious brain injuries.
The association says wearing a helmet while skiing or snowboarding can reduce the risk of a head injury by 60 per cent.
Toderian says ski-hill operators and associations can decide whether helmets should be required at their facilities.
In the case of hockey helmets, it’s up to associations to make sure hockey players have a certified helmet before they get on the ice.
The CSA wants Health Canada and the provinces to adopt its standard and make testing of all helmets mandatory.
Liberal MP Hedy Fry has tabled a private member’s bill that would require snow-sports helmets not approved by the CSA to be banned under the Hazardous Products Act.
She is urging the Conservative government to fast-track the bill through a Governor-in-Council order.
Some ski operators have opposed mandated helmet use, saying they would have to police their guests (including those from abroad who may not be aware of the requirements) and increase costs from providing helmet rentals.
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