Security guards are a common sight: we see them at shopping centres, at public events, at business and industrial sites; essential for keeping people and property safe. We depend on them. We need to feel safe and secure to go about our lives, and the sight of a security team is hugely reassuring. Whatever the location, whatever the task, security guards should be ready to handle any situation.
However, to perform at the best of their abilities, security guards need to be protected against danger themselves. Unfortunately, given the nature of their work and the people they’re likely to encounter, security guards are obvious targets for assault. Though guards in the UK are prevented from carrying weapons by law, they can wear body armour to defend themselves against a multitude of threats. What types of body armour are available for security guards? Which suit specific jobs best? SafeGuard Clothing discuss the benefits each type provides for a range of situations.
Public events
Security teams are typically hired to provide protection at large public events: music festivals, concerts, sporting events, exhibitions, and exclusive product launches will all require security to protect visitors and staff. Given the high attendance figures these and other mass gatherings attract, security teams may be needed to: run bag and ID checks; perform figure searches; enforce crowd control; confiscate drink and drugs; and physically remove unruly individuals or groups.
Depending on the nature of the event, the expected trouble will vary: at a football match, for example, tensions are high, and so potential troublemakers will be running on more adrenaline; at a concert or music festival, drink and drugs may be widely available, which can lead people to lose control when combined with lowered inhibitions.
Security guards at such events typically wear stab proof vests, either over or under their uniforms / high-visibility jackets. These provide protection against various blades, covering the vital organs with multiple layers and a tight weave. For the vast majority of events, bullet proof vests will be unnecessary, though there will be obvious exceptions: a security team should assess the venue’s history of trouble, and the potential for extreme danger, before deciding on their armour.
Stab proof vests are available in two levels of protection (as rated by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch, HOSDB): II and III. The difference between the two? Level III vests feature added layers to protect against more ferocious attacks made with a higher number of joules.
Spiked weapon vests may also be needed, as they defend against various pointed items, including sharp-heeled shoes, long nails, and needles (hypodermics, potentially carrying contaminated DNA or fluids, are a severe risk). These improvised weapons may be used by somebody in a moment’s rage, but can prove fatal if they puncture a vital organ or sever a major artery. A spiked weapon vest features multiple layers and a tight weave – so tight a spiked tip will be stopped before it can penetrate flesh.
Shopping centres, business sites
Guards based in shopping centres are typically required to watch for shoplifters and troublemakers. These individuals may pose risks, particularly if they are intoxicated or in an agitated state. Again, knives are the most likely threat, but depending on the variety of shops and the location of the centre itself, armed robbery may also be a recurring danger: if a shopping centre houses jewellery shops selling high-value goods, and quick getaways can be made via multiple routes, guns may be a viable risk. Guards working at business sites may also believe firearms are a possible threat if the surrounding companies’ establishments house valuable equipment and/or data.
However slight the danger of gunfire may seem, bullet proof vests should be available to every member of a team. As with stab proof vests, these are rated by HOSDB based on the level of protection they offer against varying ammunition types: level II; IIIa; and IV.
Level II vests will defend against the most common bullets, of 9mm up to a .357 Magnum range. Level IIIa vests cover the same ammunition, but also protect up to 9mm sub-machine gun fire and bullets of the .44 Magnum range. Both of these types generally feature Kevlar in their manufacture – one of the most widely-used and reliable protective materials.
Vests in the level IV category are designed for more heavy-duty weaponry, defending against armour-piercing and rifle bullets. Unlike the previous two types, these vests feature panels on the front and back for protective plates (usually made of steel, ceramics, or titanium). While these can repel high-velocity bullets, each plate must be replaced after use.
All of the protective vests mentioned above are available in covert, overt, and covert / overt styles. Covert armour is worn under clothing, which is ideal for plain-clothes or close-protection assignments; overt armour is worn over clothing, and is perfect for high-visibility security, helping to deter troublemakers; and, finally, covert / overt armour can be worn over or under clothing, and is thicker than standard covert vests, and thinner than standard overt vests. Hopefully, as a guard, you will never need the protection these vests offer, but you should never underestimate their value.
Best fit
Finding the right vest for your shape is absolutely essential – your life may depend on it. As the main purpose of armour is to protect your vital organs from harm, a vest must sit against your torso comfortably: if it’s too big or too small, it could still leave you exposed to danger.
A protective vest should hang no lower than your navel area – any further, and it’s too big. If your vest is loose or tight, your range of motion will be affected, leaving you unable to walk, run, or defend yourself as well as you would otherwise. When the threat of danger is real and high, you have to be free to move exactly as you wish.
Before you order vests for yourself or the rest of your team, be sure to measure chests and heights, and then check your supplier’s size chart (if they have one), or contact them for advice. And to get the most out of your body armour, and keep them at their best, follow our tips:
•Try, try, try: Always try a new vest on and practice moving to ensure you have the right fit for your size: run, crawl, jump, crouch, roll – be sure you’re completely unencumbered.
•Clean carefully: Never immerse a vest fully in water – this will damage the protective fibres. Instead, use a sponge and warm, soapy water to delicately clean it.
•Avoid damaged vests: Never wear a vest bearing signs of previous damage: holes and cuts can leave you vulnerable.
•No substitutes: Only wear a vest for the danger you expect – a bullet proof vest will not protect against knives, and a stab proof vest will not stop bullets. The design of each type is very different.
Visit http://www.safeguardclothing.co.uk.
