Eyewear's a winner with Games team

The international sailing and water sports events of the 2012 Olympics were held in Weymouth and Portland on Paul Chick’s patch. This entailed a 67-day round-the-clock police operation requiring specialist teams, and was the largest on-water security operation in the history of UK policing.  

Chick had to deliver policing for the games on target and on budget, and it was while he was maritime operations manager during the Games, responsible for equipment, procurement, people and assets on the water, that his relationship with uvex began. 

For the Olympic events, several hundred specialist officers on the 50-plus boats (RIBs) were provided with a full range of personal protective equipment (PPE), including protective sunglasses and disposable earplugs.

Having tried out several different types and brands of safety eyewear and getting feedback from users, Chick chose the uvex pheos sunglare safety spectacle with 100% UV filter, winner of the German Design Award in 2013. He says: "We needed protective sunglasses for all police personnel engaged in the operations on the water. I looked for quality, innovation, durability, value for money, whole-life cost effectiveness and a design that met the corporate image.” 

He says the uvex pheos far exceeded the force’s requirements: "We didn't have any complaints; there have been no breakages and no criticism of the design. The quality of the uvex pheos went way beyond our expectations." 

The sunglasses were worn for 12h/day every day during the Olympics. Chick comments: "The glasses allowed the police officers to stay on the water throughout their shifts. The outstanding design perfectly fitted our corporate image, with all teams dressed in black. All the products were delivered on time and within budget and complied with the required safety legislation. Another advantage was that the uvex pheos comes in a choice of two sizes to suit different sized heads.” 

 

Benefits

Increased wear by officers was one of the main benefits of the uvex pheos. "Wearers take ownership of the product, look after it and make it last longer,” notes Chick. "It’s easy for us as managers and we have a happier workforce. We can issue the glasses and then forget them.”

Chick aims for consistency across his fleet – the same boats, clothing, helmets and safety glasses, so members of the public can easily identify them. The uvex pheos wrap- around style gives good peripheral vision and he has no safety concerns because they fully meet legal standards. The specs reduce the risk from both UV and wind exposure.

The anti-fog and anti-scratch coatings standard on uvex eyewear are a bonus, as it means the officers do not have to keep taking them off and cleaning them. Sea spray and salt are important issues on the water, and the coatings keep the lens cleaner for longer. 

Looking forward

Since using uvex products for the Olympics, the force is increasing its stock of uvex equipment and is now investigating a complete range of health and safety products, including safety boots and gloves, not only for the marine force, but for frontline support staff. 

A new range of safety glasses, the uvex polavision, is being trialled. "We are looking at using them as a marine standard stock item for marine officers,” says Chick. The uvex polavision is a twin-lensed sun spectacle with a polarised filter that eliminates nuisance from mirroring and sun reflections, always a problem on the water and in maritime environments.

The force has a brand new Humber RIB coming into commission on which the uvex polavision specs will be used, and feedback so far has been positive, according to Chick. 

He concludes: "uvex is a brand that Dorset police have come to respect in terms of functionality and safety levels.”