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EN 397 vs EN 12492

Updated: 17 October 2026

You have been told to buy a climbing helmet for a saw that stays on the ground, or a cheap forestry kit looks close enough for a climb. EN 397 vs EN 12492 is that difference. On the ground, HSE allows BS EN 397, BS EN 14052 or BS EN 12492. Off the ground, the recommendation is BS EN 12492. The mesh visor and the ear defenders stay required either way. This page does not rank Stihl against Oregon. Prices and the full set are on the [forestry helmet comparison](/hub/protective-clothing/forestry-helmet). Compared on 17 October 2026 from HSE, HSENI and these listings. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have been told to buy a climbing helmet for a saw that stays on the ground, or a cheap forestry kit looks close enough for a climb. EN 397 vs EN 12492 is that difference.

Our top picks

Stihl Stihl Function Basic helmet

Best overall

Stihl Stihl Function Basic helmet
8.7/10about £42.99
View offer
HEARMOR HEARMOR Mervex Forest Air, black

Alternative

HEARMOR HEARMOR Mervex Forest Air, black
7.4/10about £49.99
View offer
Rotatech Rotatech chainsaw helmet

Preis-Tipp

Rotatech Rotatech chainsaw helmet
7.6/10about £23.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When you are on the ground
  2. 2.When the saw leaves the ground
  3. 3.Hybrids and Northern Ireland
  4. 4.What that means in this set

When you are on the ground

If the saw or strimmer stays on the ground, HSE’s chainsaw PPE page lists BS EN 397, BS EN 14052 or BS EN 12492. EN 397 is the industrial helmet for falling objects, which is the mark most ground kits in this set print. EN 14052 is on the HSE list and almost absent from these amazon titles. EN 12492 is the mountaineering standard. HSE allows it on the ground where your risk assessment does not rule it out. EN 397 is not the climbing recommendation. HSE says EN 397 and EN 14052 are only recommended for ground work. A climber who buys the same shell because it was cheaper is outside the recommendation for work off the ground. The checklist for visor, muffs and SNR is the chainsaw helmet buying guide.

When the saw leaves the ground

Once you leave the ground, HSE’s aerial tree-work guidance and AFAG308 point to a mountaineering helmet to BS EN 12492. Eye protection is still BS EN 1731 or BS EN 166, and hearing protection is still BS EN 352. The helmet standard changes. The need for a visor and muffs does not. EN 12492 does not turn a shell into cut protection. The chin strap is the practical difference you can see. uvex Safety UK explains that an EN 12492 chin strap must not release below 500 N. It is meant to keep the helmet on if you fall or snag. An industrial ground strap is often designed to release if it catches. That release is a feature in a yard. It is the wrong feature in a tree. If you are not trained for aerial saw work, hung-up timber or felling, stop and call someone who is.
Stihl Stihl Function Basic helmet

Testsieger

Stihl Stihl Function Basic helmet
8.7/10about £42.99
View offer

Hybrids and Northern Ireland

HSE allows a hybrid on the ground: a shell that meets an industrial helmet standard and is fitted with an EN 12492 chin strap, where the risk assessment does not rule it out. Some shells are certified to both EN 397 and EN 12492. Both means the maker has claimed both jobs, not that every forestry kit with a mesh visor has done so. A hybrid taken off the ground still has to meet EN 12492. Northern Ireland is in the United Kingdom, and the farmer note there is tighter than the Great Britain ground list. HSENI’s chainsaw SOS guidance for farmers names BS EN 397 as the helmet minimum. It does not offer the three-way ground choice in the same sentence. If you are buying for farm work in Northern Ireland, treat EN 397 as the line that note asks for, and still add the visor and the muffs.

What that means in this set

Inside these amazon.co.uk listings, the HEARMOR Mervex rows, black and green, are the ones that print EN 12492, with a claim of EN 397 impact and penetration tests. The green file’s style line says Open Face. The two Mervex ASINs share one review pool, including missing muffs and a short chin strap. A printed EN 12492 does not guarantee the parcel was complete. Stihl Function Basic, Rotatech and SAFEYEAR print EN 397 and do not print EN 12492. They are ground-list options for a saw that stays down, and the wrong substitute off the ground. Mesh and muffs, and why they travel with the shell, are the chainsaw helmet with visor and ear defenders page.

Common questions

Which standard for a chainsaw that stays on the ground?
HSE lists BS EN 397, BS EN 14052 or BS EN 12492 for chainsaw work on the ground. EN 397 is the industrial falling-object helmet and the mark most of these ground kits print. You still need a mesh visor and helmet-mounted ear defenders. The helmet line alone is not the whole PPE list.
Which standard once you leave the ground?
HSE and AFAG308 recommend a mountaineering helmet to BS EN 12492 for aerial tree work. EN 397 and EN 14052 are only recommended on the ground. Eyes and hearing stay on the list: BS EN 1731 or BS EN 166, and BS EN 352. If you are not trained for that work, hire someone who is.
Can an EN 12492 helmet be worn for ground work?
Yes, where your risk assessment does not rule it out. HSE includes BS EN 12492 in the ground options alongside EN 397 and EN 14052. A hybrid shell with an EN 12492 chin strap can also be used on the ground on that same condition. The visor and the muffs are still required.
What is the chin strap actually doing?
An EN 12492 strap must not release below 500 N, so the helmet stays on in a fall or a snag. A ground industrial strap may release if it catches, which can be what you want in a yard and what you do not want in a tree. The strap does not stop a chainsaw chain.
What does Northern Ireland’s farmer note say?
HSENI’s chainsaw guidance for farmers names BS EN 397 as the helmet minimum. That is narrower than the Great Britain ground list, which also allows EN 14052 and EN 12492. The note does not drop the need for eye and hearing protection. It is a Northern Ireland source, not a Republic of Ireland one.
Which listing in this set prints EN 12492?
The HEARMOR Mervex listings, black and green, print EN 12492 and claim EN 397 impact and penetration tests. Stihl, Rotatech and SAFEYEAR print EN 397 and not EN 12492. The Mervex pair share one review pool, including missing muffs, so the standard on the title is not a guarantee the box was complete.

Related pages

How to fit a forestry helmet

Forestry helmet

Best forestry helmet: the Stihl pick in this set

Chainsaw helmet buying guide: standards first

Chainsaw helmet with visor and ear defenders UK

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison, last checked on 17 October 2026.

  1. HSE, chainsaw PPE (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. HSE, aerial tree-work PPE (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. HSE AFAG308, aerial tree work (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. HSE, hearing protection (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. HSE RR1183, chainsaw noise (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. HSE L25, noise at work (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. HSE, PPE supply (retrieved 17 October 2026)