Editing Barbed wire (section)

== Safety and injuries ==
[[file:2008-08-01 No Tresspassing sign at RDU.jpg|thumb|[[Chain-link fencing|Chain link fence]] with barbed wire on top]]
[[file:Razor Wire Bunch.JPG|thumb|[[Razor wire]] is a curved variation of barbed wire.]]Most barbed wire fences, while sufficient to discourage cattle, are passable by humans who can simply climb over or through the fence by stretching the gaps between the wires using non-barbed sections of the wire as handholds. To prevent humans crossing, many [[prison]]s, and other high-security installations construct fences with [[razor wire]], a variant which replaces the barbs with near-continuous cutting surfaces sufficient to injure unprotected persons who climb on it. Both razor wire and barbed wire can be bypassed with protection, such as a thick carpet, or with the use of [[wire cutter]]s.

A commonly seen alternative is the placement of a few strands of barbed wire at the top of a [[chain link fence]]. The limited mobility of someone climbing a fence makes passing conventional barbed wire more difficult. On some chain link fences, these strands are attached to a bracket tilted 45 degrees towards the intruder, further increasing the difficulty.

Barbed wire began to be widely used as an implement of war during World War I. Wire was placed either to impede or halt the passage of soldiers, or to channel them into narrow [[defile (geography)|defile]]s in which small arms, particularly [[machine gun]]s, and indirect fire could be used with greater effect as they attempted to pass. [[Artillery]] bombardments on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] became increasingly aimed at cutting the barbed wire that was a major component of trench warfare, particularly once new [[contact fuze#Artillery fuzes|"wire-cutting" fuze]]s were introduced midway through the war.

As the war progressed, the wire was used in shorter lengths that were easier to transport and more difficult to cut with artillery. Other inventions were also a result of the war, such as the [[screw picket]], which enabled construction of wire obstacles to be done at night in [[No Man's Land]] without the necessity of hammering stakes into the ground and drawing attention from the enemy.

During the [[Soviet–Afghan War]], the accommodation of [[Afghan refugees]] into Pakistan was controlled in Pakistan's largest province, Balochistan, under General [[Rahimuddin Khan]], by making the refugees stay for controlled durations in barbed wire camps (see [[Rahimuddin Khan#Containment of Afghan refugees|Controlling Soviet–Afghan war refugees]]).

The frequent use of barbed wire on prison walls, around concentration camps, and the like, has made it [[symbol]]ic of oppression and denial of freedom in general. For example, in Germany, the totality of [[East Germany]]'s [[Inner German border|border regime]] is commonly referred to with the short phrase "Mauer und Stacheldraht" (that is, "wall and barbed wire"), and [[Amnesty International]] has a barbed wire in their symbol.

Movement against barbed wire can result in moderate to severe injuries to the skin and, depending on body area and barbed wire configuration, possibly to the underlying tissue. Humans can manage not to injure themselves excessively when dealing with barbed wire as long as they are cautious. Restriction of movement, appropriate clothing, and slow movement when close to barbed wire aid in reducing injury.

[[Infantry]]men are often trained and inured to the injuries caused by barbed wire. Several soldiers can lie across the wire to form a bridge for the rest of the formation to pass over; often any injury thus incurred is due to the tread of those passing over and not to the wire itself.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-tel-aviv-palestine-1948-israeli-haganah-fighter-dashes-across-a-human-32368657.html | title=Stock Photo - TEL AVIV, PALESTINE, 1948: Israeli Haganah fighter dashes across a human bridge formed by two comrades over barbed wire obstacle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ebay.com/itm/1945-Human-Bridge-to-Cross-Barbed-Wire-Original-News-Service-Photo-/161868968612 | title=1945 Human Bridge to Cross Barbed Wire Original News Service Photo}}</ref>

Injuries caused by barbed wire are typically seen in [[horse]]s, [[bat]]s, or [[bird]]s. Horses panic easily, and once caught in barbed wire, large patches of skin may be torn off. At best, such injuries may heal, but they may cause disability or death (particularly due to [[infection]]). Birds or bats may not be able to perceive thin strands of barbed wire and suffer injuries.

For this reason, horse fences may have rubber bands nailed parallel to the wires.
More than 60 different species of wildlife have been reported in Australia as victims of entanglement on barbed wire fences,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=van der Ree|first=Rodney|year=2016|title=Barbed wire fencing as a hazard for wildlife|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285642397|journal=Victorian Naturalist|volume=116|pages=210–217|via=ResearchGate}}</ref> and the wildlife friendly fencing project is beginning to address this problem.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wildlifefriendlyfencing.com/WFF/Home.html|title=Home|website=wildlifefriendlyfencing.com|language=en|access-date=2017-02-01|archive-date=December 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229080004/http://www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com/WFF/Home.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Grazing animals with slow movements that will back off at the first notion of pain (''e.g.'', sheep and cows) will not generally suffer the severe injuries often seen in other animals.

Barbed wire has been reported as a tool for human [[torture]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ferriman |first=Annabel |title=Human rights group uncovers evidence of torture in Zimbabwe |journal=BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) |volume=324 |issue=7333 |pages=317 |publisher=BMJ Publishing Group Ltd |date=2002-02-09 |url= http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7333/317|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212162858/http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7333/317 |archive-date=February 12, 2008 |pmid=11834551 |pmc=1122260 |doi=10.1136/bmj.324.7333.317 }}</ref> It is also frequently used as a weapon in [[hardcore wrestling|hardcore professional wrestling]] matches, often as a covering for another type of weapon—[[Mick Foley]] was infamous for using a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire—and infrequently as a covering of or substitute for the ring ropes.

Because of the risk of injuries, in 2010 Norway prohibited making new fences with barbed wire for limiting migration of animals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bruk av piggtråd i gjerder for å regulere dyrs ferdsel er forbudt |publisher=Mattilsynet |date=2014-04-22 |url=https://www.mattilsynet.no/dyr_og_dyrehold/dyrevelferd/bruk_av_piggtraad_i_gjerder_for_aa_regulere_dyrs_ferdsel_er_forbudt.13923 |access-date=2017-08-17 |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629160443/https://www.mattilsynet.no/dyr_og_dyrehold/dyrevelferd/bruk_av_piggtraad_i_gjerder_for_aa_regulere_dyrs_ferdsel_er_forbudt.13923 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Electric fences are used instead. Consequently, automotive brands such as [[Bentley]] and [[Rolls-Royce Motor Cars]] is using Norwegian (and other Northern European region) hides for producing leather interior in their cars, since the hides from Norwegian cattle have fewer scratches than hides from countries where barbed wire is used.<ref>{{cite news|title=Norge selger klør, tunger, tarmer, mager, skinn og bein for millioner |newspaper=Aftenposten|date=2015-12-21 |url=https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/Ew82/Norge-selger-klor_-tunger_-tarmer_-mager_-skinn-og-bein-for-millioner |access-date=2017-08-17 }}</ref>