[Previous entry: "Gas shortages coming to Hawaii"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Propping up the "weary titan""]

08/25/2005 Archived Entry: "Zylon body armor -- government certified but not safe"

ZYLON BODY ARMOR. The U.S. Justice Department certified it safe and effective. Thousands of police departments bought it. Ooops. Just one little thing. The fabric degrades with time, heat, light, humidity, and sweat. When the JD retested, 58 percent of the vests failed. But by then one policeman was already paralyzed.

But whom do you suppose will be held liable? The Justice Department and its certification specialists? Or the makers and vendors? NPR has an audio report. Here's an article about the fedgov suing the vest fabric makers, whom they say knew about and tried to cover up the problem.

Posted by Claire @ 06:39 PM CST
Link