Plastics Preventing Crime

At the Government backed Materials Knowledge Transfer Networks Annual Meeting on 23rd April 2009 Mr Barry Webb, Head of the Design against Crime Team at the Home Office gave a presentation on ‘Materials for a Safer World’.

Mr Webb said there were 42,000 ‘glassings’ a year. This is where criminal attacks are made using broken glasses or bottles.  The Government’s approach is to target problem Pubs and Clubs. Material scientists are looking at alternatives to glassware, particularly Polycarbonate.  The Home Office want to encourage a business case for a new material which is not heavy, is economical and does not shatter.  They want to achieve a culture change by getting away from conventional glass.

Mr Webb also mentioned drinking straws which detect drugs by changing colour.

From the BPF:  In March last year Britain’s biggest nightclub owner Luminar announced it had halved its insurance bill for cuts and falls by switching to polycarbonate in its 200 clubs.  15% of their bottled drinks are now in plastic containers.

Other Defence speakers mentioned the need for:

• Radar friendly wind turbines
• Self healing polymers and composites through micro encapsulation and hollow glass fibres
• Composite constructed aircraft to have lightning strike protection and impact energy absorption
• Personal robotics support vehicle to go anywhere carrying infantry equipment.
• Lightweight soldier weapons system (the SA80 assault rife is about 25 years old).

Any BPF member wishing to contact the Materials KTN on the above should contact them via the PIN advert on the BPF website’s front page at  www.bpf.co.uk