GUARDIAN: at the cutting edge of anti-piracy solutions

Marine & Auto Security Solutions (MASS) has unveiled an innovative anti-piracy solution that is set to take the shipping world by storm.

The company is the manufacturer of GUARDIAN, which is rapidly replacing razor wire with many blue chip shipping companies worldwide. GUARDIAN was designed by MASS director Teresa Stevens who co-founded the company with her husband — and now CEO — David.

Designed for ease of installation and effective at preventing access to the decks of ships, GUARDIAN is in place on over 100 ships, and has already hampered pirates’ efforts to board illegally.

Produced in three different locations across the globe from a specifically designed compound which forms a high density rigid barrier with extreme UV protection, it will outlast razor wire by five years, saving time money and ensuring crew safety and owners peace of mind.

GUARDIAN is the most effective replacement for razor wire and will fit any size or shape of ship, easily covering awkward railings, chocks and fairleads allowing for speedy and safe removal. This means no more crews covered in a multitude of cuts from razor wire risking infections and costs in time and money to the ship managers, whilst saving thousands of man hours installing and removing razor wire.

There is no need to remove GUARDIAN at every port — simply remove the sections required for loading or unloading and for tying the ship up. This takes minutes, with no risk of cuts.

Replacing the sections on leaving port is equally simple. MASS believes that crew safety must always remain a priority. In ensuring the safety of the ship from pirate attack, MASS is also ensuring the safety of the crews from kidnap, imprisonment and torture, enabling them to return home safely to their families at the end of their rotation.

Proof of the effectiveness of GUARDIAN was shown during an attack by pirates of the coast of Nigeria on 4 May this year. The attack on CMA CGM Africa Four was unsuccessful due mainly to the installation of GUARDIAN.

MASS already has a large client base, including: v the largest shipping company in the world; v the largest container shipping company in the world; v the third largest container company in the world; v the third largest tanker company in the world; and v the largest oil and gas drilling company in the world.

Gaining such major clients is a great achievement for a company that installed its first units in September last year — and MASS’s order book continues to grow. In addition, the company has agents in the Middle and Far East and is constantly striving to improve its ability to service the requirements of its growing list of clients. MASS firmly believes in attention to detail, and is happy to discuss special requirements with customers. It has also recently been working with its tool makers, to design corner units for offshore drilling rigs, and two-metre units for higher rail sections that also need protection.

MASS’s motto ‘Safeguarding seafarers worldwide’ is not just a catchphrase, but is something in which it truly believes. The crews of ships worldwide do a great job supplying us all with what we want; they have the right to do their job in as safe an environment as can be provided.

GUARDIAN: 100% RECYCLABLE

Unlike razor wire, at the end of its long life GUARDIAN can be recycled by regrinding the compound and used to make other products, thus lessening the impact on the environment and the risk to wildlife that razor wire causes when it is washed overboard.

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