What Does IWA 14 Mean?

IWA 14 (International Workshop Agreement 14) is an international standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that specifies requirements for vehicle security barriers used in hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM). IWA 14-1 covers performance requirements and test methods. It supersedes the UK's PAS 68 standard and is the primary international reference for specifying anti-terrorism vehicle barriers.

What Does IWA 14 Mean? — Complete Guide to the International HVM Standard

IWA 14 is the international framework for certifying and specifying hostile vehicle mitigation products — bollards, barriers, gates and rising arm systems designed to stop a hostile vehicle in its tracks. If you are specifying security barriers for a UK crowded place, government building, critical national infrastructure site or commercial property at elevated risk of vehicle-borne attack, IWA 14-1 is the standard your products should be certified to. This guide explains what IWA 14 means, how it differs from the older PAS 68 standard, and how to interpret IWA 14-1 product ratings.

The IWA Process — What is an International Workshop Agreement?

An IWA (International Workshop Agreement) is a document published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that is developed faster than a formal ISO standard and represents a provisional consensus position on a technical topic. IWAs are typically developed when a sector needs rapid international standardisation — for example, when emerging security threats (such as vehicle-borne terrorism) outpace the development cycle of formal ISO standards. IWA 14 was developed through workshops involving security experts, manufacturers, testing organisations and government agencies from multiple countries, resulting in a specification that has broad international recognition.

IWA 14-1 vs IWA 14-2

IWA 14 has two parts:

• IWA 14-1 — Vehicle Security Barriers: Performance requirement and test method. This is the main testing standard, specifying how barriers must be crash tested, what the test vehicles should be, and how performance is measured and classified.
• IWA 14-2 — Vehicle Security Barriers: Application of vehicle security barriers for maximising the protection of public spaces. This is a guidance document (not a testing standard) providing advice on how to deploy and specify vehicle security barriers in public environments, including site surveys, risk assessment, and installation requirements.

When people refer to "IWA 14" in the context of product certification, they generally mean IWA 14-1 (the test standard).

How IWA 14-1 Testing Works

IWA 14-1 testing involves a controlled crash test in which a vehicle of specified type and weight is driven at a specified speed into the security barrier product being tested. The test must be conducted by an accredited test house (in the UK, typically MIRA at Nuneaton) and witnessed by a third party. The key measurements taken are:

• Vehicle type (V) — categorised by mass: V/2500kg (passenger car), V/3500kg (light goods), V/7500kg (medium goods vehicle), V/30000kg (heavy goods/tanker)
• Impact speed (km/h) — typically 48, 64 or 80 km/h (30, 40 or 50 mph equivalents)
• Impact angle (degrees) — typically 90 degrees (perpendicular)
• Penetration distance (Px) — distance from the front face of the barrier that the front of the vehicle body reaches after impact. Expressed in metres: P0 = no penetration, P1 = less than 1m, P2 = 1m–7.5m, P3 = 7.5m–30m, P4 = more than 30m
• Barrier integrity — whether the barrier system remained functional after the test (important for reusable/permanent barriers)

Reading an IWA 14-1 Product Rating

IWA 14-1 ratings are typically expressed as:

V/7500[N2C]/80/90:1.1

Decoding this:

• V — Vehicle security barrier type
• 7500 — Test vehicle weight: 7,500kg
• [N2C] — Vehicle class: N2 category (medium goods vehicle), C sub-category
• 80 — Test speed: 80 km/h (~50 mph)
• 90 — Impact angle: 90 degrees (perpendicular)
• 1.1 — Penetration distance: 1.1 metres

The most commonly specified IWA 14-1 rating for UK crowded places protection is V/7500[N2C]/64/90:0.5 — a 7,500kg vehicle at 64km/h (40mph), perpendicular impact, with less than 0.5 metre penetration. Some very high-security applications specify V/7500/80km/h and even V/30000kg tests.

IWA 14-1 vs PAS 68 — Key Differences

For UK procurement, products certified to either PAS 68 or IWA 14-1 are generally accepted, provided the test conditions (vehicle weight, speed, penetration) match the specified requirements. IWA 14-1 is preferred for international projects and for new UK government specifications.

IWA 14-1 in UK Government Security Policy

The UK Government Security Centre (GovSeCo), the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) all reference IWA 14-1 in their guidance on hostile vehicle mitigation. The Security Policy Framework (SPF), which applies across the UK government estate, mandates the use of tested and certified security products — effectively requiring IWA 14-1 or equivalent certification for vehicle security barriers on government property.

For crowded places outside the government estate, NaCTSO's "Protect" guidance recommends IWA 14-1 certified barriers for locations assessed as at elevated risk of vehicle-borne attack. Police Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) can assess individual locations and advise on appropriate levels of protection.

IWA 14-1 Certified Security Barriers from Barriers Co

Barriers Co supplies IWA 14-1 certified security bollards, surface-mounted barriers, and retractable bollard systems for UK hostile vehicle mitigation applications. All products supplied with full crash test certification, foundation design calculations and installation specifications from our security division. Contact our HVM specialist team for a consultation.