Protect Against Piracy Attacks With Solarglide
Piracy attacks continue to terrorise the seas, in 2021 the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre received 132 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships.
It is clear that being able to protect yourself from attacks is paramount when travelling across prone areas of piracy. In an effort to combat this issue we have developed preventative measures you can take to protect your crew from piracy attacks.
Solarglide protection against piracy attacks
Solarglide’s preventative measure… SG Safety Film
This is an anti-explosion film that fits directly to the surface of the window glass, it is designed to make glass safer by strengthening it against breakage. It does this by holding dangerous shards of shattered glass together in one mass (in situations where glass breakage occurs). The film protects the glass from explosion damage, bullet penetration and manual attacks. Whilst it is true, the film cannot prevent intruders getting onboard a ship, but if and when that situation arises, this tool really comes into its own.
Glass is normally shattered/broken using objects or explosions to gain access to the bridge and take control of the vessel. Flying glass can be a main cause; loss of life, serious injury and/or damage to navigation equipment. Attacks also happen very quickly, leaving the crew little time to escape into a secure room or part of the ship. SG Safety Film holds the fragmented glass in place, even under constant attack, providing vital extra minutes to escape and report the pirate attack.
Solarglide Protective SG Safety Film
Piracy, An Ever Present Threat…
Typically, pirates will try to hijack the vessels under attack and take the crew hostage or steal the cargo. Weak economic conditions have left governments with fewer resources to battle piracy.
Reported by The Maritime Executive, global piracy in 2021 is at its lowest level since 1994. However this level is achieved with the inclusion of many incidents that do not meet the UNCLOS definition of maritime piracy, especially when considering the location of events. In 2022 there a number of locations around the world are being closely monitored, such as in South America, with the Gulf of Mexico and in Port Aux Princes being notable areas.
Piracy & Armed Robbery Prone Areas
Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas:
South East Asia and Indian Sub-Continent
Africa and the Red Sea
South and Central America and the Caribbean waters.
These locations of present and historical piracy require vessels and crew members to be extra vigilant and fully prepared for a potential threat. Installing Solarglide’s SG Safety Film is one step in slowing down or preventing pirates from taking over your ship.
What help is there?
The biggest difference is how International communities have forged alliances to provide much better protection on the world’s seas. The IMO (International Maritime Organisation) provides excellent guidance to operators and crew on their website, with the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) providing live data in the form of a world map, detailing recent events of piracy, which enable crew and operators to make adjustments to their schedule.
If you’d like to know more about Solarglide, please give our team a call on +441915970543 or email us at [email protected].
