BOMB BLAST PROTECTION AND WINDOW FILM

Window Film; Mitigating the Effects of a Bomb Blast in Crowded Places

The threat of a terrorist attack is an ever present concern in today’s society. The attacks which aim to cause as many casualties as possible tend to happen in large commercial areas, creating fear and harming innocent people going about their day to day lives. The July the 7th bombings in London illustrates this and shows how the London 2012 Olympic Games could be a tempting terrorist target. Bomb Blast Window Film can help in the preparation to minimize fatalities and injuries when a terrorist attack occurs

Explosions cause mass casualties in public areas, not just from the bomb blast, but from the result of shrapnel and shards of glass being propelled over a wide area. This was the cause of many of the injuries in the July 7th bombings. The blast from several bombs that day shattered glass in the windows and doors of a bus in Tavistock Square and on the London Underground. A report on July the 8th called told how eyewitnesses described people being showered in sharp pieces of glass.

NaCTSO (National Counter Terrorism Security Office) from their publication Counter Terrorism Protective Security Advice for Commercial Centres quoted: ‘Many casualties in urban terrorist attacks are caused by flying glass, especially in modern buildings and glazing protection is an important casualty reduction measure.’

One way to prevent flying glass as a result of an explosion is Anti Blast Safety Film which is available from MVM Window Films. The film, which is already widely used by Government Departments including the MoD, works by holding shattered pieces of glass together once broken by the blast of a bomb. Edge retention (containment) systems are used in conjunction with Bomb Blast Window Film particularly where toughened glass is used. This is attached to the film and the window frame to ensure the pane itself doesn’t fall out as a whole as a result from a blast. These security systems will help prevent injuries from flying glass.

With security being of utmost importance for large commercial areas and major events like the 2012 London Olympics, glazing protection is paramount to the safety of people in crowded places in the event of a bomb blast.

If you would like further information, please contact MVM Window Films on 0845 270 3518 or visit our website www.macrovitro.com.