After a number of high profile incidents within the world of personal safety and health & safety, and due to an improvement in Health & Safety laws within most civilised countries around the globe key decision makers within the world of security and health & safety are aiming to issue stab vests or body armour to their frontline staff.

Choosing the right stab vests or body armour can potentially make the difference between life and death of a member of your staff.

This article is my personal and professional advice. Good advice based on more than fifteen years of frontline experience within high risk security operations and advising governmental departments, prisons and hospitals in personal safety related matters in a number of countries, and now being the CEO of ASEO, one of the world's best known knife protective equipment experts.

Overt VS Covert Stab Vests / Body Armour

Dealing with persons who clearly have a serious dislike for uniforms or authority in general, intoxicated individuals or other aggressors means dealing with persons who can easily overreact at anytime to anything you say or do, often capable of causing serious harm. You as a professional health & safety advisor, security professional or someone responsible for purchasing personal protective equipment, will agree that wearing an overt stab vest can be perceived as confrontational and aggressive, and subsequently can lead to an escalation rather than ‘prevention’ of aggressive behaviour or action.

I am 100% convinced that many more frontline operatives who chose to wear overt stab proof vests will be attacked around the head or face, as attackers can clearly see that the upper body is well protected. However, wearing covert stab proof vests diminishes this risk and can give the wearer the added benefit of taking a potential attacker by surprise by remaining ‘unaffected’ or ‘unharmed’ during a violent knife attack. This can often provide the perfect moment to escape or use legitimate self defence if required.

We at ASEO have carried out extensive research projects into the advantage of covert body armour and the vast majority of these research projects clearly indicate that selecting covert body armour will result in a lower risk of being attacked while at work - compared to wearing overt or visible stab proof vests. Wearing covert body armour or stab vests will allow you to engage in a potentially hostile situation, primarily using your body language, excellent diplomacy and good communication skills, while being appropriatly protected in case the situation escalates.

Stab and Knife Protection Levels

What level of stab or knife protection do you require? This will entirely depend on the potential threat you are calculating or expecting. It is absolutely crucial that you are looking into the purchase of Government approved and certified stab vests and body armour only. I am fully aware of the many stab vests available on eBay and other online sites and shops, often run by individuals with a very limited knowledge of stab and knife protection and no understanding of all legal stipulations. People who are after your money but not interesdted in your personal safety. Please contact us if you are unsure about a certain product... we are more than happy to offer our free advise... We are here to help you.

The Home Office Certification for the Great Britain market for stab vests is one of the most respected certification in the world andexists for the following categories:

KR1 - KR1 stab vests are worn by more than 90% of all frontline staff in the United Kingdom. Only Police Officers in certain regions and security professionals or other frontline operatives entering very high risk environments will be looking for a higher stab protection.

KR2 - KR2 stab vests are worn by individuals entering very high risk environments or those dealing with criminal organisations or similar threats. These stab proof vests will be heavier due to the materials required.

Rigid VS Flexible Anti Stab Vests

I am fully aware that the majority of frontline staff would put comfort before safety. Well, I certainly do not!

We at ASEO use ultra light 4mm thin plates of hardened polymer composites moulded to your upper body shape for our range of innovative stab vests, resulting in an extraordinary product with a absolutely unique infinite lifespan as well as unrivalled protection from blunt trauma, caused by punches, kicks or blows by any offensive weapon. Based on my professional frontline experience and extensive research we have acrried out I can verify that an impact based assault is a much more likely event than an attack involving an edged weapon.

Why choosing flexible stab vests that offer you stab protection only?

Why not issuing your frontline employees with body armour which go way beyond basic knife protection and also guard you from much more likely and equally dangerous incidents?

Materials used

Most ‘soft’ or ‘flexible’ body armour are manufactured using aramid fibres such as Kevlar. Please acknowledge that the life expectancy of Kevlar is limited to 3-5 years. Please bear in mind that the life expectancy of Kevlar will be reduced if it is exposed to either UV light or moisture. Meaning if Kevlar based body armour are stored in the boot of your employee’s car or worn in the wet, the body armour will fail to protect you at a much earlier stage. Please check your existing body armour. A date stamp on the label will clearly indicate the date the product has been manufactured.

The Right Size

It is absolutely necessary to purchase good fitting stab vests otherwise you are decreasing the chance of your employees wearing them. People don’t like wearing garments they don’t feel comfortable in. They will leave them in the boot of their car and rather operate without protection. The size recommendations for each manufacturer vary so please always make sure that your measurements are accurate and are checked by another person before deciding upon the size that you need. If you have any doubts whatsoever you should ask for a fitting guide and leave in the hand of the manufacturer to make the right decision on what size is required, or simply contact us.

Robert Kaiser, CEO

ASEO

8th August 2009