While the wearing of body armour by police officers in Britain is expected, many other UK enterprises and organisations are now adopting stab vests for work environment safety. Policemen and women have worn this type of protection since 1995, but in 2008 a news report found that many local councils were also issuing stab vests. Employees faced with abusive and threatening behaviour such as benefits officers, teachers and traffic wardens were all given vests as extra protection against rising knife crime in this country.

Now in 2022, emergency healthcare staff including ambulance workers and paramedics are being added to this list of employees in need of protection from knives and sharp object attacks. Delivering critical care and assistance, medics may be the least expected targets for knife crime, but reports this year show otherwise.

Knife Attacks On West Midlands Paramedics

A research report collected and compiled the Office of National Statistics found that over the last 10 years, the police force of the West Midlands Police had recorded the most knife-related crimes per 100,000 population, experiencing a 41% increase during the decade.

As part of the NHS’s Work Without Fear Campaign, the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), along with many other emergency facilities, has been trialling the wearing of stab vests. Figures from the service state that in 2021, 11,749 ambulance workers were either verbally or physically abused in England, increasing by 4,060 incidents in just five years. In the West Midlands, there has been a rise of 88 per cent more verbal and physical abuse since 2016. The abuse included medics being stabbed, kicked, punched, head-butted, and spat at.

While the trial ended in January this year, bosses at the WMAS are now being urged by staff to make stab vests a permanent part of their uniform.

What Are Stab Vests And How Do They Work?

Stab-proof vests are a kind of protective body armour that can offer significant resistance against attacks from sharp objects and weapons like broken bottles knives, and needles. Stab vests are manufactured from a tightly woven fabric known as Aramid. While Aramid is robust on its own, when these strong fibres are woven and interlock, they become even tougher and present powerful protection. Even when a blow is aimed with substantial force, a knife blade will become ensnared in the tightly wound meshed weaving. As a result, momentum is lost, and the blade is slowed ensuring the stab vest wearier remains unimpacted by the strike. After an attack, the vest will sustain damage and must be replaced instantly. A stab vest that has taken a hit cannot provide adequate protection.

Answering Rising Knife Crime In The UK

Since the 1970s, the UK home office has gathered data on knife crime. Statistics show that the number of serious offences that involved sharp instruments and knives has significantly increased in the last 10 years, with a 27 per cent rise recorded.

With government statistics indicating a rise in knife crime and the figures of increasing physical abuse to ambulance workers and paramedics, the permanent adoption of stab vests for work seems well-advised. Expertly manufactured to provide maximum protection against sharp instruments and blades, modern stab vests for work are a valuable ally for any organisation or enterprise that is committed to keeping its staff safe.