Working Rig / Station Wear Regs

[HH1989]

Hi all,

I wonder whether anybody could point me in the right direction in regards to a station wear query.

I’m currently undertaking a study in regards to PPE outside of the Fire PPE.

Does anybody know whether there is any legislation / regulations / standards in regards to day to day station wear? Whether there are certain legal requirements in regards to health and safety etc?

Thanks! 

[Becile]

Work (general)wear is not necessarily considered PPE in a firs station environment ,(yes when couple with fire kit as a layer)  apart from maybe foot ware, any specific tasks that have a risk from anything should be wearing specific and appropriate PPE, (nitrile gloves for example ) Q/ what tasks would you consider in the fire station that require any specific PPE , that you don’t access to at present ? 
 

legislation won’t be that specific for us, Health and safety at work defines employees and employers responsibilties. safe person concept.

[HH1989]

Okay thanks, that makes sense.

As a generalisation across numerous brigades, what is the procedure for any brigades that undertake and attend purely medical co-responding calls which involve no smoke/ Fire? 

Is Fire PPE used? If so, is Fire PPE immediately bagged up for decontamination after a medical co-responding call whereby bodily fluids have found its way onto the tunic or trousers? 

If Fire PPE isn’t used, then technically, shouldn’t station wear confirm to Local Authority Ambulance Service uniform standards on a like for like basis, requirement wise (if they exist)?

This is purely from a health and safety point of view for minimising the risk of contamination and the lack of ease of washing / drying Fire PPE and to the contrary, the ease of washing / drying / transporting spare station wear after a medical call.

[Rory-495]

In LFB, all we have is structural firefighting PPE. The only addition is RTC gloves for non fire incidents which get used at more than just Rtc incidents.

If we were to get contaminated at an incident with blood, poo or other stuff (it happens) we would treat it the same as any other contaminant

I know other FRS use rescue jackets or lightweight kit, but generally the default os firefighting PPE as a default purely off cost (unless on a USAR or other specialist unit)

I don't think many actually do a proper co responding role

[Dyson]

Our firefighters who are detached to LAS, just wear station working rig, as far as I have observed when I’ve seen them out and about. 

[JonnyHolbs]

@Dyson with the addition of safety boots.

[Becile]

Any kit contaminated with anything has a specific procedure for bagging (always wear fire kit for incidents, regardless lightweight jacket ) unless covid confirmed then it steps up a gear which is far too complex to explain on here. 
 

we don’t attend medical in anything apart from fire kit, as for services that do purely medical calls , they’d be governed by clinical governance of the ambulance service they are completing the work for in terms of ppe and procedure.

[Matt]

Medial responders in Humberside tends to be cargo trousers and t-shirt with logos for fire and relevant ambulance service (2 different trusts) on, Lincolnshire are red overalls bit like thunderbirds!  Then your PPE like gloves, goggles, apron on top.

[Vema11]

I’ve always thought we go over the top on PPE and sometimes rightly so. 

We just go to full fire kit as a standard. But you’ve raised a good point which I’ve thought about for a while. For example, assisting ambulance moving a patient, lift rescues, rope and working at height (more training than jobs I know) wildland fires etc. we go to and do lots of things which don’t involve fire. But we wear thick fire and heat resistant gear, and helmets which gives you full head protection. Meanwhile more often or not a paramedic/ police officer or someone from another agency is stood there in basic working rig carrying out the same task. I know in Manchester we just wore working rig and leggings for a RED 1 when we were doing them. The leggings where purely for the knee pads I believe. 

 

[Becile]

Which is why we as a service have gone for the option of lightweight jackets where fire isn’t involved.looks like we might even be going down a lightweight wildfire rig as well.( many hours spent on the commons)