SAFETY DEVICE

A safety device (10) for a chinstrap harness configured to be coupled to a safety helmet, wherein the safety device (10) is configured to be coupled across a break in the chinstrap harness, the safety device comprising: male and female component parts (14, 16) configured to be connected together across the break, the male component part (14) comprising at least two substantially parallel, spaced-apart, and resiliently flexible prongs (22) defining a gap (21) therebetween; and a switching mechanism that includes a switch (18) that is manually slidable by a finger or thumb along a generally linear path between a first position and a second position, wherein the switching mechanism comprises an obstruction (32) to which the switch (18) is mechanically coupled, the obstruction (32) being away from the gap between the prongs (22) when the switch (18) is in the first position, and in the gap (21) between the prongs (22) when the switch (18) is in the second position; wherein the safety device is selectively configurable by the switching mechanism between a first configuration, in which the safety device (10) is free to release when a tensile force applied to the chinstrap harness exceeds a first predetermined threshold, and a second configuration, in which it can sustain, without releasing, a tensile force of at least a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being greater than the first predetermined threshold, wherein the first position of the switch corresponds to the first configuration and the second position of the switch corresponds to the second configuration.