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AUSTRALIAN
RACING BOARD
REQUIREMENTS
FOR RIDERS' PROTECTIVE VESTS
Issue 1 - As
Amended 12 October, 1998. |
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1.
Foreword |
1.1
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These requirements have been prepared for
the Australian Racing Board by Human Impact Engineering (Contact T.
Gibson, 9 Rowntree Street, Balmain, NSW, Australia, 2041, Telephone:
+61 2 9555 6645,
Fax: +61 2 9810 1922).
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1.2
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The use of a correctly fitted garment
complying with these guidelines does not guarantee the safety of the
wearer and will not preclude all injuries arising from horse riding, but
will prevent some injuries to the chest and spine and reduce the severity
of others.
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1.3
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This standard is based on the SATRA
Standard referenced below. The original wording has been kept where
possible, with changes in the following areas:
- To the impact attenuation requirements
to allow a more flexible vest;
- To the pre-test conditioning requirements to
ensure adequate impact performance in wet and hot conditions.
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2.
Scope |
2.1
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These requirements outline minimum
performance, coverage and marking for protective vests to be used by
jockeys and track workers in Australia.
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2.2
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These requirements are for a vest for use
in racing with emphasis on lightweight and freedom of movement.
Where more protection is required, heavier more effectively padded vests
should be used.
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3. Referenced Standard |
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3.1
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These requirements are based on the SATRA
Jockey Vest Standard - Version M6 - Dated 20/5/97.
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4. Requirements |
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4.1
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General |
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4.1.1
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Common sense shall be used in the
interpretation of these requirements.
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4.1.2
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The garment shall be easily removable
without moving an injured wearer.
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4.1.3
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Where the padding consists of a laminate
of two or more materials, the harder, more dense material shall be away
from the wearer.
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4.1.4
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The protective padding shall not be
easily removable.
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4.1.5
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Gaps between sections of padding shall be
no more than 15 mm, when assembled as intended for normal use. Two
bars shall not come into effective contact (i.e. that is with only fabric,
zip or fastener between), when tested by the method described in
Appendix
A.
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4.1.6
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Some form of retention device, e.g.
crotch or leg straps, shall be incorporated to prevent the vest from
'riding up' when worn.
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4.1.7
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The garment shall be free from rough or
hard edges and any hard components, e.g. buckles that are likely to cause
injury to the wearer.
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4.1.8 |
The manufacturer shall use materials,
which are known not to cause irritation or disease.
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4.1.9
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The vest shall be designed to maximise
ventilation and the wearer's comfort in hot conditions by the selection of
appropriate materials and construction methods. The protective
padding shall incorporate a maximum area of through holes and grooves to
aid cooling.
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4.1.10
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The manufacture of the vest shall be to
an accepted quality assurance procedure, including both material proof
testing and batch testing.
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4.2
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Area of Coverage and Sizing |
4.2.1
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The garments for test shall be washed or
cleaned five times in accordance with the manufacturers instructions
before testing to these requirements.
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4.2.2
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The protective vest shall have an area of
coverage of the body of the wearer. The protective padding shall
cover the following areas of the body:-
- The whole torso circumference.
- The bottom edge, at the front, shall cover the
ribs.
- The bottom edge, at the rear, shall cover the
wearer's coccyx.
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4.2.3
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These coverage area dimensional
requirements are based on the body measurements in Figure 1. The
three measurements shall be taken as the mid-value of the range suggested
by the manufacturer in the sizing information.
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4.2.4
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To measure the dimensions of the garment,
it shall be opened out and laid flat as shown in Figure 2. All
measurements shall be taken on the inside.
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A chest circumference
B waist
C waist to waist over shoulder
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Figure 1 - Coverage area and sizing
dimensions, after the SATRA Standard (1997).
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Figure 2 -
Diagram of the protective
material coverage in a protective vest flattened out for
measurement, after the SATRA Standard (1997).
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4.3 |
Impact Protection |
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4.3.1 |
Three samples of each size range as offered
for sale shall be tested. |
4.3.2
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When tested in accordance with
Appendix B,
the average peak transmitted force shall not exceed 4.0 kN, with no
single test exceeding 6.0 kN, when tested within 10 minutes of
conditioning as follows:- |
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Ambient Conditions The vest
shall be exposed to an air temperature of 20 ± 2ºC for not less than 4 hours.
High Temperature The vest shall
be exposed to an air temperature of 40 ± 2ºC for not less than 4 hours.
Water Immersion The vest shall
be immersed in water at a temperature of 10ºC to 30ºC for not less than 4
hours.
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4.4 |
Ergonomics |
4.4.1
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The protective vest to be tested shall be
fitted to a person of the nominated size according to the manufacturers
instructions. |
4.4.2
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The wearer, whilst standing upright, shall
report any hard edges pushed into their neck, body and arms, and any
areas of discomfort. The wearer shall take several deep breaths
and report any hard edges and areas of discomfort. The wearer
shall then lift both arms vertically above the head and swing both arms
in a circular motion (similar to front crawl in swimming). The
wearer shall then sit down and lean forward to touch shoulders and
knees, with the head tilted backward to look straight ahead.
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4.4.3 |
If discomfort or restrictions in movement
are noted, the garment shall be deemed to have failed. |
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4.5 |
Strength and effectiveness of
fixings/restraints |
4.5.1
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Sections of vests may be secured by
fastenings, providing they satisfy the strength tests detailed in
Appendix C and none of the components represent a hazard to the wearer.
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4.5.2
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During the tests any fixings shall not open,
become detached or break in any way. In addition there shall be no
observable damage to associated fabric or stitching. Gaps greater
than 15 mm shall not develop in areas of padding and areas of protection
shall not be displaced from their original positions by more than 10% of
dimension A (chest girth). |
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5. Instructions for Use |
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Manufacturer shall supply the
following written information with each garment:
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That the
protective vest complies with these guidelines.
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The name and
address of the manufacturer or authorised representative.
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Detailed
fitting instructions.
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A statement
concerning the level of protection provided and a warning indicating the
protective vest does not guarantee safety and will only provide limited
protection.
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Guidance for
selecting a product of the appropriate level and size.
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A warning not
to modify the product in any way.
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Washing
instructions, including care of 'velcro' type fastenings where used.
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6. Markings |
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The garment shall be marked with the
following information in a manner that it will remain legible for the
foreseeable useful life of the product.
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The name, trade
mark or other means of identifying the manufacturer.
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The style code
/ product reference.
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A cloth label
with the name and issue of these requirements, supplied by the Australian
Racing Board.
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The range in cm
for suitable wearers of the three dimensions: A (chest circumference), B
(waist) and C (waist to waist over shoulder).
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Month and year
of manufacture.
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Textile/material
care instructions.
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Appendix A - Padding Gap Test |
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(A1) Principle
Two metal bars are placed above and below
areas where gaps exist in the padding and a force is applied. If the
blocks of padding allow the bars to come into contact with each other the
garment is deemed to fail.
(A2) Apparatus
The lower bar consists of a plate with
dimensions 15mm ± 1 mm x 45 mm ± 2 mm x 70 mm ± 2 mm deep mounted vertically
onto a support. The upper bar has dimensions 15 mm ± 1 mm x 45 mm ± 2 mm
x 55 mm ± 2 mm deep, with a mass of 2.55 kg ± 0.05 kg.
(A3) Test Procedure
The lower bar should be placed on a
horizontal surface. Prior to testing, adjacent foam blocks should be
examined. If they are a loose fit they should be moved as far apart as
possible without compressing the material. The garment should then be
draped across the lower bar along the line of the gap in the padding. The
upper bar is held directly above the lower bar, and allowed to settle under its
own mass. Record if the blocks of padding allow the bars to come into
effective contact with each other with only fabric, zips or other non-protective
material between.
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Appendix B - Impact Test |
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(B1) Principle
A guided flat impactor shall be dropped onto
test sample, placed over a domed anvil. A load cell measures the peak
force transmitted through the test material to the anvil. The impact
energy is determined by the drop height.
(B2) Apparatus
The impact test apparatus shall consist of a
piezo-electric load cell mounted on a rigid mass in excess of 1 000kg. The
test anvil shall be mounted directly onto the load cell, which shall be
preloaded in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The drop
velocity shall be monitored at the point of impact to within an accuracy of
2.5%. The test instrumentation shall comply with the SAE
requirements* to a Filter Class of 1000.
The impactor has a circular flat face 80mm ±
2 mm in diameter and a total mass including the carriage of 5.0 kg ± 0.05
kg. The anvil is 100 mm ± 1 mm in diameter with a 150 mm ± 5mm radius of
curvature domed top.
* SAE J211b - Instrumentation for Impact
Tests - Society of Automotive Engineers
(B3) Test Procedure
Ten impact tests shall be carried out with a
drop energy of not less than 25 J.
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Appendix C - Effectiveness Of
Fixings/Restraints Test |
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B1 Principle
Fastenings are subjected to a defined force
gradually applied and held for 10 seconds.
B2 Apparatus
Hand held force gauge and suitable clamps.
B3 Test Procedure
A suitable subject shall wear the garment. The closures or adjusters shall
be set in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Each separate
component of the fixing, shall be tested using the force gauge and suitable
attachment. The device shall be clamped or hooked to the edges of the
garment and pull test forces of 25N shall be applied and held for 10
seconds. During the tests any garment displacement should be noted.
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