Firefighter safety helmet awarded for innovation

An innovative firefighting helmet has been the recipient of a design award in New Zealand.

Axiam Plastics won the Supreme Award at the New Zealand Plastics Industry Design Awards with components for Pacific Helmet’s Structural Firefighting Helmet.

Held as part of Plastics New Zealand’s 75th Anniversary Conference, the awards showcased the innovation and world-class achievements of the New Zealand plastics industry.

The F15 fire helmet is a critical piece of safety equipment used by firefighters, helping to protect the lives of those who fight fires around the world. At its heart are the chassis and components manufactured by Axiam Plastics. The chassis allows for future advances in communication integration, including augmented reality components, to be added to the helmet.

The plastic materials for the firefighting helmet were carefully selected to handle high temperatures and safety requirements. The parts themselves were high quality and made in very complex precision tools. The helmet also has good commercial and export potential, based largely on New Zealand input.

“The entries this year were of an extremely high standard and showed the world-class innovation happening in the New Zealand plastics industry. To win the Supreme Award, Axiam Plastics had to beat the winners of all other award categories. They also won the Best Manufacturing Process & Execution category. Axiam Plastics and Pacific Helmets can be very proud of what they’ve achieved here,” said Rachel Barker, CEO of Plastics New Zealand.

Image caption: L-R Rachel Barker (PNZ CEO), Brad Williamson (Axiam Plastics Ltd), Kevin Jones (Axiam Plastics Ltd).