My staff say their stab vests are too heavy – how should I respond?
The key thing your staff are telling you when they say “these anti stab vests are too heavy” is that they are uncomfortable. There are a number of factors affecting comfort – a major factor is weight, however equally important is the flexibility of the armour – if it is rigid or hardened it is much less likely to be comfortable. Flexible stab vests are also easier to manoeuvre in – therefore the wearer may find it easier to move away from threats.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to purchase a stab vest which can be adjusted at multiple points, and that your staff know how to use them. Good suppliers will offer some training for your staff free of charge to show them the basics of how to adjust and care for their anti stab vests.
Stab Vests
Keltic is the UK's largest supplier of stab vests to local authorities, NHS, universities and blue chip companies. All our stab vests are Home Office certified and CE-marked, and all include syringe protection and blunt trauma protection. We offer seven styles of unisex stabvests from stock for next day delivery. We offer free consultations, free collection and delivery of samples, and free badging.
Stab Vests Guide
A stab vest (sometimes referred to as "stab proof vests", stab resistant vests or anti stab vests) protect the vital inner body parts from stabs, cuts, slashes and blows from sharp, edged or spiked weapons. There is no such thing as a "stab proof vest" - a stab vest is stab resistant to the stated level. The Home Office have stipulated levels of stab resistance which relate to the amount of force from a blade which a stabvest can withstand
What should I look for in a stab vest?
The UK Home Office has made it easier to select the appropriate stabvests for your staff by setting standards for the various duties that may be performed. Police duties are a useful benchmark:
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- KR1 (Knife Resistance Level 1) & SP1 (Spike Resistance Level 1) are the levels of stabvest protection recommended by the Home Office for general police duties.
- KR2 (Knife Resistance Level 2) & SP2 (Spike Resistance Level 2) are the levels of stab vest protection recommended by the Home Office for more dangerous police duties, such as armed patrol in higher risk scenarios, eg. Patrolling at airports or escorting prisoners.
- You should also look for stab vests that are CE marked
Choosing a stab vest for your staff can be daunting, with various confusing claims and scare stories. Our brochure dispels the myths and walks you through the process. We also offer a free consultation with one of our stab vest experts - just call our Body Armour Department on 01922 616 999 to arrange this. We can tell you about solutions we've implemented at organisations similar to your own. If you are a local authority, university or similar organisation you qualify for an account immediately
Stab Vests Guide
All our stab resistant vests are officially certified by the Home Office, made in the UK to UKAS ISO 9001 quality standards, CE marked, and conforming to requirements of PPE directive 89/686/EEC, BS 7971 and EN340. Our brochure tells you everything you need to know about anti stab vests - click here and receive your copy in tomorrow's post
All our stab vests also include syringe protection - this is not the case with many stab vests on the market. Because of its very fine needle point, a syringe will penetrate the majority of conventional body armour, including many stab vests with Home Office KR1 (knife) and SP1 (spike) certification. There is no Home Office standard for syringe protection -if in doubt, ask a potential supplier to visit you for a demonstration.
All our stab vests include protection from spikes. A spiked implement such as a screwdriver, chisel , ice pick, "shiv" or similar improvised weapon could be more likely than a knife. Spikes are easier to obtain, and carry lesser legal consequences. Where there's a knife threat there's almost certainly a spike threat, so Home Office certification from spikes (SP1, SP2 etc) in addition to knives (KR1, KR2 etc) is essential - many stab vests don't have this
All our stab vests provide excellent protection from blunt trauma - for many wearers the risk from kicks, punches, being hit with wood or bricks is even higher than the risk of being stabbed. Because our stab vests are also very flexible, the wearer can easily manoeuvre away from threats, unlike with rigid/hard stab vests
Please Note: The wearing of body armour does not guarantee protection from all types of threats that may be encountered. It is the responsibility of the purchaser to ensure that the product specified is satisfactory for the intended purpose. Our expertise is at your service, with specific threat testing and proven solutions.
How to Choose Your Body Armour
See our how do I choose the right body armour page.
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