Stab Vests: The Importance of Spike Protection

You will no doubt be continually assessing your operational risk to mitigate any identified risks sufficiently. But are you aware of the growing risk from spikes or spiked weapons? Are you aware of the importance of ensuring your stab vest provider is certified for spike protection? Some providers claim their products are protected without holding the necessary certifications, verifying their certifications is key for assured safety against spikes and ensuring certified protection.

Weapons like ice picks, shanks, sharpened screwdrivers, spiked clubs, and strong hypodermic needles can indeed penetrate them if they are not offering specific, and more importantly, certified protection from this risk.

History and Evolution of Stab Vests

Most stab vests offer limited spike protection. Interestingly, the need for spike protection was identified by prison and corrections officers, who were at serious risk from injury from spiked weapons.

It was due to those operational risks and threats faced by the officers, that in the mid-1980s the California Department of Corrections issued an urgent requirement for all stab vests body armour to be tested against a commercial ice pick. The test method attempted to simulate the dynamics and force used by an attacker using a spike, intending to cause maximum harm or death.

However, society has changed, and some will argue not for the better. We all can clearly identify a global rise of knife crime and see a change in the type of edged weapons now being used on our streets. Many of which are spikes or makeshift spiked weapons, easy to hide, and often specifically engineered to enter another person’s body using minimum effort, with little or often no resistance.

The Challenges of Spike Protection

From the body armour technology point, these spikes or shanks are exceptionally difficult to protect from. It is for this reason that not many stab vests or body armour are being officially certified with the prestigious SP1 (Spike Protection) rating.

In the UK, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) is now the esteemed authority in stab and spike protection test protocols and standards, inheriting the role from the Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST). DSTL emphasises the importance of comprehensive protection, noting that spike protection is rigorously tested only in combination with stab protection.

This means that a KR1 standalone stab vest does not provide any measurable spike protection unless it has also been tested and certified to SP1. In essence, a KR1 standalone stab vest, lacking SP1 certification, offers protection against knives but not against spikes. Consequently, the spike protection efficacy of a KR1 standalone stab vest without SP1 certification remains 'unknown' or 'questionable'.

Did you know that a stab vest can be penetrated up to 30mm and still receive a KR1 knife protection level certification from the Home Office? However, with spike protection (SP1), no penetration is allowed at all. Our PPSS Stab Vest's allowed zero penetration during KR1 testing.

?

The Importance of Certified Protection

When considering stab vests or other body armour, it's crucial to recognise their specific protective capabilities. Stab vests lacking certified spike protection may prove ineffective during attacks involving assailants wielding spiked weapons. These weapons, often wielded violently, pose significant threats to the safety of our private security professionals in the UK.

If your environment or operational responsibilities necessitate knife protection, then spike protection should also be considered crucial.

PPSS Group Carbon Fibre Stab Vests

All stab vests supplied by PPSS Group are certified to both KR1 knife protection and SP1 spike protection, ensuring comprehensive protection against a range of threats. In addition to knife and spike protection, our stab vests also provide defence against blunt force trauma. Our vests are certified to VPAM W5 standards, offering reliable protection against blunt force impacts and come with a 10-year guarantee, ensuring both immediate protection and long-term durability.

Reach Out for More Information

For more information or to discuss your specific needs, please don't hesitate to reach out. Our Technical Director, Col M , with 27 years of experience in UK police operations, including counterterrorism, surveillance, covert ops, and firearms, is available to visit you at your facility.

Please visit here to find out more about our certified protection stab vests.