New occupational safety helmet from uvex:

The "uvex pronamic alpine" is equipped with the Mips safety system

Stockholm, 30 August 2022 – As part of a joint launch event, the Franconian uvex safety group, a specialist in occupational safety, and the Swedish company Mips, one of the market leaders in helmet-based safety,  are launching two new occupational safety helmets. An extended form of the well-known occupational safety helmet Pheos S-KR and a completely new industrial climbing helmet according to EN397 and EN12492 – the "pronamic alpine Mips". The Mips safety system, now integrated into the helmets, is designed to redirect dangerous rotational movements in the event of an accident that could otherwise be transmitted to the wearer's head.

Head injuries are not uncommon in the working environment: Among the most frequently injured body parts in occupational accidents, the head ranks third. ¹ And in around 40% of all fatal accidents, injuries to the head were significantly involved. The causes of head injuries are diverse, according to a study 2 published in 2021. Most often, sufferers slip, trip or fall, are hit by a falling object or fall to a lower level. However, many accidents around the head do not occur linearly but take place at an angle. As a result, so-called rotational movements can act on the head and brain, which can be very dangerous and lead to severe brain injuries. Noteworthy: According to a recent representative online survey by the NielsenIQ research institute in Germany, only 33 percent of respondents had an idea of what rotational movements are.

“By integrating Mips technology into our safety helmets, we are pursuing the goal of increasing the wearer's protection against rotational forces that occur in many accidents. The added protection contributes fully to our uvex mission “protecting people”, comments Wolf Wagner, Director Product Group Management Head at uvex.

Functional for rotational movements
Mips stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. The safety system consists of a Low Friction Layer installed in helmets. The system is modelled on cerebrospinal fluid – our natural protective system – which allows the brain to move relative to the skull. Accordingly, the Mips safety system enables a movement of 10-15 millimetres between the helmet and head in all directions – to redirect the rotational movements acting on the head in an accident during certain oblique shocks.

"We are thrilled to launch these helmets on the market together with uvex. These are two different types of helmets that are suitable for different types of work, both are the result of the new partnership between Mips and uvex," says Olof Rylander, Senior Business Developer Safety at Mips.

The Mips safety system integrated into helmets (yellow, l.u.r.) and the "original" in our head (yellow, m.): The cerebrospinal fluid allows the brain to move relative to the skullcap. This is the function that the Mips safety system is supposed to perform in helmets equipped with this system.

New: The "uvex pronamic alpine Mips"
The uvex pronamic alpine Mips will be available in September 2022. The basic variant already combines the technical requirements of the EN 397 and EN12492 standards in one helmet. In addition, the helmet has the size range from 51 cm to 63 cm head circumference as standard. The versatile adjustability of the head ring, generous ventilation openings and easily and quickly replaceable chin straps ensure optimal wearing comfort. Extensive mounting slots complement the plus in safety and functionality for helmet accessories such as headlamps, full-vision goggles and hearing protection capsules. The "uvex pronamic alpine Mips" is fully-certified according to EN397 and EN12492 and was developed for the accident protection of industry employees, the construction industry, height work and other craft trades.

In addition, uvex has added an updated version of the Pheos S-KR, now with the Mips safety system to its portfolio, which will be available in September. As standard, it has a short shade and a pre-assembled 4-point chin strap, climazone ventilation and a rotary wheel for infinitely variable width adjustment. In order to increase the wearing comfort, the enlarged "Spiderneck" neckpad is mounted onthe dial in front of the Mips version as standard. This increases the contact surface, thus reducing the pressure and ensuring a secure fit. The uvex Pheos S-KR Mips is certified according to EN397 and is also available in Hi-Viz Orange.

About the uvex group
The uvex group unites four companies under one roof: the uvex safety group, the uvex sports group (uvex sports and ALPINA), the Filtral group (Filtral and Primetta) and Protecting People GmbH for the B2C business. The uvex group is represented by 49 branches in 22 countries and produces by conviction with a focus on Germany. 60 percent of the nearly 3,000 employees (as of FY 2020/21) are based in Germany. uvex is a global partner to top international sports as an outfitter to countless top athletes. The guiding principle of protecting people is both a mission and an obligation. To this end, the uvex group develops, produces and sells products and services for the safety and protection of people in the professional, sports and leisure sectors.

Further information: www.uvex-safety.de

The Mips company
Mips specializes in helmet-based safety and is a market leader in this field. The Mips^® safety system is based on an "ingredient brand" model and is sold to the helmet industry worldwide. The Mips^® safety system is patented and based on 25 years of research, testing and development in cooperation with the Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. This is also where the company's headquarter is located, with more than 60 employees in research and development, sales, marketing and administration, and the test center.

Mips currently works with 143 helmet manufacturers, the safety system is used in 833 models and was integrated in 12.6 million helmets worldwide in 2021 alone.
Further information: www.mipsprotection.com

¹ Statistics – Accidents at work 2020 of the DGUV; https://publikationen.dguv.de/widgets/pdf/download/article/4271
² Brolin et al. (2021) Work-related traumatic brain injury in the construction industry in Sweden and Germany. Safety Science 136, 105147; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.105147