Just For The Helmet!

For as long as I can remember, I've been a whiner. I complain about this and I complain about that. I look for shortcuts everywhere because I think everyone else is wrong. I'm right, of course, but I can rarely prove it. And by "rarely" I mean it's never happened until now - and that's why I'm writing.

Peace Corps requires Volunteers to wear a bicycle helmet while riding a bicycle. And, since it's a requirement, punishable by a ticket home, they supply them to us at no charge. Unfortunately, they sent me a terrible helmet! It was broken and old and gross and way out of compliance. I kindly asked for a replacement and the one they sent was technically unused, but it was literally falling apart. I kindly asked for a third helmet and PC told me they didn't have anymore and they would let me know when more came. Sure... I responded, asking if I could be reimbursed for the purchase of a new, approved/appropriate helmet. The acting Country Director had earlier been CCd on the email chain and she wrote back to my new question to say, "No." Oh, really??? Well, that was the spark that lit my fire.

The specific Peace Corps policy governing bike helmets just says that "An approved bicycle helmet is a bicycle helmet meeting standards approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission." The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's standards are listed in 16 CFR 1203 of the Code of Federal Regulations and are really only concerned with the helmet's initial construction. There is one part, however, which says that a helmet should be replaced after it sustains damage. That worked for my first helmet, but not the second. I contacted one Shelby Mathis at the CPSC to ask more about their regulations. She wrote back with the following:

Unfortunately it looks like our helmets regulation doesn’t cover when to destroy/replace a helmet. If you are concerned about the helmets construction and its ability to function properly, you should report this to the manufacturer. Additionally you can make a consumer report to our agency via saferproducts.gov letting us know about your concerns on the new helmet. 

I contacted the manufacturer who simply told me to replace it. Of course. And then I submitted a consumer report as she suggested.

I'm currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine and I've recently been issued a bicycle helmet, which is required if I am to ride a bike while serving. The specific Peace Corps policy requiring this says that the helmet must meet the standards approved by the U.S. CPSC.

I've been scouring the internet, as well as the 16 CFR 1203, for information for standards on the continued use of helmets, but it seems all of these standards and requirements are focused on the manufacture of a helmet, and not its effectiveness in use.

The first helmet I received from the Peace Corps was dirty, clearly used, had visible damage to the plastic shell, and came with no pads to achieve a proper fit. 

The Snell Memorial Foundation, the gold standard for helmet safety, says that helmets should be replaced after 5 years of their manufacture date or whenever they sustain any damage. My first helmet was manufactured in December, 2001 and very obviously damaged.

The helmet I received was not safe and was out of compliance with Peace Corps policy due to a labeling requirement in 16 CFR 1203, specifically §1203.6, so I requested a replacement. The replacement helmet's outer plastic shell was not glued to the styrofoam part and while unused, was manufactured in 2010. I contacted the manufacturer who said the the helmet needed to be replaced.

I contacted CPSC to ask about the regulations a bit more. Shelby Mathis responded to my inquiry with: "our helmets regulation doesn’t cover when to destroy/replace a helmet." This seems like a very unfortunate shortcoming in the policy and legislation. Please keep it in mind when revising it. 

In the meantime, what do I do about the Peace Corps' supply of unsafe bike helmets?

A week went by and I thought nothing would ever come of this. Like all my other rants. But then I got an email from saferproducts.gov. It began by telling me that my issue fell outside their jurisdiction, like adding oxygen to my flame, and then it finished by informing me my complaint had been forwarded to the Peace Corps Office of Inspector General. A few hours later I got an email from the PCOIG wanting to forward my email on for investigation. 

The only problem with this, is that I had already been in hot water with the Peace Corps Ukraine staff, and they had already threatened my service (bunch of half-wits running the show over here). I didn't want any extra attention - I wanted to disappear and be left alone, which is why I shouldn't complain in the first place. 

Ended up having a phone convo with an Investigator from OIG who suggested that in return for dropping my specific complaint, he would follow up with the Peace Corps Office of Health and Safety to revise their policy with respect to my specific case! Neat! Peace Corps-wide change! You're welcome, 4,000 Peace Corps Volunteers per year! And, almost 6 months later, I just got a brand-spanking-new, fully-approved/appropriate bike helmet!

None of my whining has ever resulted in anything good! This is so great! It finally worked! My New Year's Resolution will be to retire my complaining so I can quit while I'm ahead.