Spit Guard Pro - the safest and most humane way to protect Ambulance staff
Wednesday, 14 September, 2016
Manufacturers of Spit Guard Pro, the protective restraint hood used to prevent restrained people spitting at public service providers such as Ambulance staff, have moved to reassure the public that it is the safest and most humane method of protecting both parties involved in a restraint situation.
British Transport Police recently used a Spit Guard when restraining a young man at a London underground station. Footage of the arrest flooded social media and has been picked up by numerous mainstream media. Spit Guard Pro was designed and is manufactured by KIT Design, a specialist Personal Protective Clothing company based in Sheffield. Director of the company, Paula Romano, says the public should be reassured that Spit Guard Pro has been developed over many years to the highest of health and safety standards.
“Spit Guard is absolutely the safest and most humane way to protect anyone at risk of being spat at, such as Ambulance drivers and Paramedics as well as a member of the public that is being restrained. It is manufactured to the highest design standards that take into account both the safety of whoever is applying it and the person wearing it.
“Spit Guard Pro should only be used in dangerous positions when someone threatens to spit at a member of staff. Apart from the awful discomfort of being spat at, Spit Guard Pro protects the professionals from the threat of contracting transferable diseases such as HIV AIDS, Hepatitis C and other infectious diseases.
“The Guard is hypo-allergenic and does not constrain the wearer in any way. It allows them to breathe easily, maintain vision and able to hear what is being asked of them in a restraint situation. We accept that to the untrained eye it is a strange looking and startling looking thing, but we have spent years developing it and it is the only one of its kind to have been certified under the CE 93/42/EEC Directive and is globally recognised as the most effective and safest of all similar products,” says Paula Romano.
Ross Ferguson who is a member of the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) expert panel on restraint techniques says if an approved spit guard is being used properly, then the public need have no fear about its use. “Restraint should always be a last resort but it is part and parcel of daily life in many industries and services. Spitting is a really big problem, with serious risks to the health of members of staff involved in restraining people. We are aware that there are differing opinions on the use of hoods but there are solutions, and Spit Guard Pro is one I approve of,” said Ross Ferguson.
Director of Kit Design, Paula Romano, says that Spit Guard PRO is recognised by many Police forces as the best option to deal with spitting; “We are currently supplying police forces in Norway, Sweden, Scotland and Finland as well as the British Transport Police, Staffordshire and West Mercia Police and it is currently being trialled by the Metropolitan Police. It can be used when people; become aggressive in public places as well as prisons, hospitals, care homes and mental health services. It has been designed to catch and contain any spit or vomit and cannot be removed by the person. In the case of the person being ill while wearing it, Spit Guard Pro can be removed without any of the contents of the hood coming into contact with the wearer or the person removing it. With it being disposable there is no risk from infection or contamination either,” says Paula Romano.
Spit Guard Pro comes with full safety instructions on how to use it and KIT Design advises all user to contact the British Transport Police about training to use it as it is running the national training programme in its application. KIT Design, which is based in Sheffield, has been manufacturing its spit guard for over five years. Its unique features include protection against asphyxiation, a quick release system; the spit hood contains all fluids safely and hygienically for easy disposal. These features make it very different to other products on the market which often allow phlegm to go through the gauze, do not capture all emissions and or use straps to hold them in place.
• For further information contact:
KIT Design Ltd,
International House,
Nunnery Drive, Sheffield,
S2 1TA
Tel: 0114 279 8136
