By Paloma Migone of NZPA

Wellington, June 16 NZPA - The Corrections Department showed off new prison guard safety equipment rolled out in all New Zealand prisons to a parliamentary select committee today.

The personal protective equipment included a bullet proof vest, a shield, safety boots, knee and arm pads, fire-proof overalls, a baton and a helmet.

Department chief executive Barry Matthews gave the committee a breakdown of the new safety equipment, which has been slowly introduced in the last six months and got a laugh after putting the helmet on backwards.

"This equipment is not available to the staff all the time. It is accessible by staff when they get an indication of violence that is about to occur."

A pepper spray device used to go in cells without the door having to be opened was also shown.

Mr Matthews said it was still being tested.

"We are just working out some of the limitations," he said.

The department had also put substantial effort in training staff to handle high risk incidents, including how to verbally diffuse situations, he said.

Select committee chairwoman, National MP Sandra Goudie, thanked the department for the display, saying "it is important for us to see what protection correction officers have because of the [Jason Palmer] incident".

American-born prison guard Jason Palmer died last month after being punched by an inmate at Springhill Prison.

He was punched shortly after he and two other prison guards opened the inmate's cell.

Mr Palmer fell back and hit his head on the floor as the other two guards restrained the prisoner.

Corrections' assistant general manager Dr Brendan Anstiss said the personal protective equipment was available to Springhill staff when working in high risk situations.

"However, Jason was assaulted while undertaking a relatively routine unlock of a prisoner. Because of the status of the prisoner, three staff were present to unlock him from his cell, as is normal operating procedure.

"Jason was not wearing the equipment at the time he was assaulted and would not have expected to have been."

Dr Anstiss said the department was still investigating Mr Palmer's death, but it was unlikely that any equipment could have prevented his death.

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