Posted By Simon Ayee Our trading standards officers are considering body armour for use when executing certain warrants and during other high risk situtions. I have given them advice regarding assessing the risk of attack, the need for the intervention in the first place, visits with the police and selection of body armour. Does anyone have a risk assessment for the use of body armour that I could give them as an example? Thanks in advance Simon Ayee simon.ayee@wrexham.gov.uk

Posted By Michael Hayward I work in the Voluntary sector ( St John Ambulance ) and I have recently come up against requests from the membership for soft body armour (stab vests) This has been made largely on the basis of a "perceived" risk and the fact that some Ambulance Authorities are issuing them to their crews. I can currently find no accurate data of the likelihood of this risk being realised for our members, so I have embarked on a data gathering excersise as the first step in my risk assessment. My view is that, if I find a significant risk then the issue of PPE is almost the last altenative. I need to look at other alternatives first ( don't attend events with a foreseeable risk - look at work methods - conflict management etc) From where I am at the moment I could see a situation where issuing of stab vests could put members at greater risk (being mistaken for police - false sense of security - bravardo etc)