A protective helmet (10) having a cover plate (12) over a front vision area and a cover plate knock out assembly (18) for moving the cover plate a predetermined distance away from the helmet so that a finger of a user can get behind the cover plate to enable its removal from the front vision area of the helmet. The cover plate knock out assembly (18) comprises a slide/pushbutton element (25) and light blocking cover (28). The slide (26) pushes the cover plate (12) away from the helmet when the push button (24) portion is pressed. The cover plate (12) is made of clear plastic and comprises a spring tendency when slightly compressed when attached to the helmet thereby pushing the slide (26) into a resting position in the helmet.
