Why BlastSax sandless sandbags are vital for IED emergencies, bomb scares and the international battle against terrorism

BlastSax is the alternative military grade sandless sandbag for those who need a sandbag in an emergency.

As we know, sandbags are difficult to store, cumbersome to shift and hard to stack into a barrier which makes them far from ideal for military or specialist police personnel faced with a suspicious package or potential improvised explosive device.

BlastSax are flat-packed in sealed bags which makes them exceptionally space-saving to store or transport anywhere, especially when every second counts which is crucial in the international struggle against terrorism.

To transform them into instant sandless sandbags simply immerse the BlastSax in water – the fire service is often around at these kind of emergencies with plenty of water – and they will be transformed in about 5 minutes to an alternative sandbag weighing around 20kg.

They can then be placed around the package or potential IED to mitigate the impact of any blast. The gelling polymer will also stop shards of metal so could prove useful for a forensic examination of the scene afterwards.

Some military now use BlastSax at checkpoints and turn them into mini bunkers where they can put suspicious items they find such as fireworks or flares.

BlastSax have undergone rigorous testing with the British armed forces to show how much they can mitigate the blast from a grenade or similar small explosive device.

An army report states: “This trial seemed to prove the effectiveness of the BlastSax in a blast mitigation role, more specifically in reducing the blast wave and capturing the fragmentation for forensics.

“The bags absorbed water very quickly and were deployed very quickly too. In an urban environment BlastSax would have limited the damage to surrounding buildings and other structures. They would also be effective as an aid or first line of defence in case something inadvertently went off while waiting for the Bomb Disposal Unit. BlastSax proved 100% effective for this trial.”

BlastSax were devised by Environmental Defence Systems Ltd based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Special projects manager Jessica Bailey said: “With BlastSax it’s all about quick, simple storage and then a speedy deployment … and you don’t have either of those with traditional sandbags.

“It means the BlastSax can be taken quickly to the scene any time and anywhere, even by just one person and that can be in the middle of a city or out in an isolated rural location.’’