Voluntary Stab-resistant Armor Compliance Testing Program
While the most common type of threat faced by a police officer is a ballistic threat, the most common threat faced by correctional officers is from sharp edged and pointed weapons. In response to the needs of the corrections community, NIJ has developed a test standard for stab and puncture resistant body armor. NIJ, through its Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), partnered with the U.S. Secret Service and the Police Scientific Development Branch (PSDB) in the United Kingdom to conduct the research that lead to the development of the NIJ Standard-0115.00, Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor.
The PSDB has extensive experience in researching the issue of sharp instrument threats, as it is the primary threat faced by law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom. PSDB's current research effort focused on developing a model to be used in determining the actual forces generated during an attack by an assailant with a sharp edged or pointed instrument. This information could then be used to develop realistic test methodologies and procedures. PSDB researchers reviewed medical data from over 1000 actual stabbing assaults that occurred in the U.K. Then, to correlate this information, they developed an instrumented knife (dubbed the "stabometer") capable of measuring the amounts of acceleration and force generated by a stabbing impact. The "stabometer" was then used to record force and energy data generated by 500 fit, young males performing a number of different stabbing motions (overhand, underhand). From this data, a greater understanding of the mechanics of a stabbing incident have been developed. This in turn has lead to the development of a "dual-mass" drop system that will be used in the actual testing, which more accurately replicates the forces impacting a vest during a stabbing incident.
Additionally, several different types of test blades have been developed to accurately reflect actual threats faced by law enforcement and corrections officers. While these blades are specially designed for testing purposes to ensure consistency in the testing, they reflect many of the features found in low-grade commercial knives or homemade instruments, which are the most commonly used in attacks against police and corrections officers.
Also, the backing material used to support the vest during testing was examined to determine what would most accurately replicate the response of the human torso during a stabbing incident. Once again using data developed by the PSDB, a composite backing material consisting of alternating layers of closed-cell foam and neoprene rubber was developed for use in the testing. To test non-flexible armor designs molded to the shape of the human torso, an alternate backing of modeling clay will be utilized.
NIJ Standard 0115.00, Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor is now complete and testing is underway. This standard has been reviewed and approved by the Weapons and Protective Systems Subcommittee and the Executive Committee of the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council (LECTAC) and by the National Armor Advisory Board (NAAB).
Contacts:
Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES):
Kirk Rice
Program Manager
301-975-2757
kirk.rice@nist.gov
NLECTC-National:
Kevin Merlo, Equipment Testing Technician
Tel: (301) 519-5119
kmerlo@nlectc.org
Alex Sundstrom, Testing Coordinator
Tel: (301) 519-5684
rsundstrom@nlectc.org
Last updated: April 24, 2007
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