You may be aware that the Home Office Scientific Development Branch provides the certification for stab vest protection. We find that the most commonly used stab vest protection is KR1 (Knife Resistance Level 1), and this is often paired with SP1 (Spike Protection Level 1). However, it is key to point out that SP1 does not cover syringe protection, although many people think it does, in fact the Home Office do not have any standard for syringe protection at this time. Depending on where your staff operate you may want to consider this carefully. There are a lot of stab vests on the market that will imply that SP1 covers syringe protection but it doesn't. So the question remains how can you make sure your staff are protected?

The first step is to undertake a risk assessment to see what risks you think that your staff may be exposed to in their work environment. This risk assessment should cover all the dangers that your staff could face in the real world. This means the threats that are found in your locality (contact the police if you are able to) in addition to the risks that are specific to their job. These are the key questions to ask:

Are your staff at danger from knives and sharp objects?

Is there also a danger of guns?

Is there an additional danger from blunt trauma and syringes?

If your risk assessment states that your stab vests need to include protection from syringes, this is what you should do. Make sure that you ask any potential supplier to visit you with the stab vests and to demonstrate the syringe-resistant capabilities of their products. We think this is a must when you are dealing with such a crucial piece of protective equipment as stabvests. Any honest supplier will be pleased to do this to demonstrate how effective their products are at protecting your operatives.

Keltic Clothing works at the cutting edge of technology, and our body armour is the lightest, most flexible and therefore most comfortable in the industry, whilst still meeting Home Office and CE Mark standards. We offer seven different styles - the biggest stock range on the market, and a unique system that allows you to interchange styles whilst using the same body armour inside. We hold large stocks of all styles in all sizes and protection levels, providing you next day delivery with no minimum order. We will also print or embroider a logo for your body armour, in any design, free of charge.