British Standards BS 7971
Protective clothing and equipment for use in violent situations and in training
Eran Bauer, Director of Civil Defence Supply in 1999 conceived the whole idea of Standards. Civil Defence Supply was the first ever European Manufacturer to CE-Certify improved Police Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In 2001 Civil Defence Supply proposed the idea defining National Standards and Test Procedures for riot shields and other riot equipment. Six leading United Kingdom PPE manufacturers agreed to work together to approach the British Standards Institute to create a new suite of Standards and that became BSI Committee PH 3/12 under the Chairmanship of a leading PPE Consultant Mr Paul Varnsverry who has an international reputation in high-performance clothing.
Civil Defence Supply had already built test apparatus for riot shields and those design concepts are still in use today. Tests had to replicate thrown objects such as bricks and petrol bombs, penetrative attacks from spears, knives and slash attack as well as degradation from hydrocarbons and the byproducts of petrol bomb fires, acids, paint and other contaminants. Other test methods and equipment then followed running parallel to previous good work done by the UK Home Office HOSDB now CAST.
Advice was taken from leading UK Test Houses with experience in Industrial PPE Testing so that existing test methodology was considered and if possible adopted or adapted to meet the unique threats found in Riot Control. Civil Defence Supply made a considerable corporate investment in their quest for excellence.
During a four year consultation process BSI PH 3/12 sought advice and input from practitioners in the UK Police, HM Prisons, Home Office HOSDB and Armed Forces to ensure that every possible attack scenario was technically analysed and covered by various sections within the draft British Standards. Excellent Standards in protective equipment already existed such as the US NIJ on ballistic vests and the UK Home Office PAS017 Riot Helmet Specifications/Testing which BS 7971 was intended to compliment. The current TEN YEAR review of BS 7971 in on-going with leadership from UK Home Office CAST scientists.
British Standards BS 7971
This work eventually became British Standards BS 7971 covering test and evaluation procedures for riot shields, gloves, overalls, body protection and other associated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Here in the United Kingdom we have Home Office scientists skilled in test and specification who already had produced excellent Standards in Stab Resistant Vests and other PPE and now work alongside UK manufacturers and user-groups to bring BS 7971 entirely up to date.
If a manufacturer or supplier quotes BS 7971 Compliance we suggest that those claims are double-checked as numerous Chinese and other copies are now flooding the international market with look-alike products using inferior raw-materials and poor manufacturing procedures with absolutely NO testing. Can you take the risk..?
Eran Bauer filming British Army Riot Training in Northern Ireland
British Standards BS 7971 Committee
US ASTM Standards Committee E-54
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Committees
To read more about the BSI BS 7971 Chairman Paul VARNSVERRY please go to this link
