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Personal Protective Equipment



Frank Dunstan
Saturday, 18 September 2010

While attending a recent wildfire I was a bit dismayed to see during the mop up a volunteer fire fighter dressed in shirt, shorts and thongs outside his Grass Fire Unit using the long hose. Volunteer fire fighters are considered to be employees of the NT Government under the Work Health and Safety Act and are covered for Workers Compensation for any injuries received carrying out their duties. Had this person suffered any injuries there could have been some awkward questions asked, not only of him, but of his Captain and any officers from BFNT who may have been present.

All active BFNT volunteer fire fighters should have been issued their personal copy of the current Bushfires NT Standard Operating Procedures. If you have not received your copy, ask your Captain for one. SOP 14.2 lists the PPE to be issued and your responsibility for wearing it. Where new members have yet to be issued PPE it states the Approved Minimum Standard for Fire Management Operations:

  • cotton/woolen long trousers, long sleeved shirt;
  • cotton overalls;
  • safety helmet, hat or cap;
  • leather boots or safety boots;
  • leather gloves; and
  • safety glasses/goggles.
People dressed inappropriately should be kept off fire grounds for their own safety.

PPE, including gloves, should be put on before going onto a fire ground - the fire can wait another 30 seconds while you do that. I have given first aid treatment to people with burns on their hands, even though they had gloves sitting on the seat beside them. When asked why the gloves weren't worn, one excuse was that the fire came so fast there wasn't time to put them on.

Care and maintenance of PPE

Boots

BFNT recommend and issue Taipan 5 Series soft toe Wildland Fire Boots. These boots have a heat resistant sole and will give many years service when looked after. Boots must be either lace-up or zipper, definitely not elastic sides. These boots are issued for use on fire grounds, not as personal work boots.

Taipan give the following cleaning instructions:

Clean the surface of the boots by sponging with clean soapy water only. Old grease and wax can also be removed using clean soapy water, after first testing a small area to ensure the finished surface is not damaged.

Apply "Taipan Leather Dressing" with a lint free cloth, working well into the edges and stitching. Allow to dry, then buff with a clean cloth to the desired effect.

If there is a zip fastener they recommend lubricating with petroleum jelly or a light oil spray.

Note that you can use a standard black shoe polish in lieu the leather dressing. I find that the Taipan leather dressing prevents wet season moulds from forming, whereas standard polishes don't give that protection.


Turn out gear

PROBAN® treated garments (jackets, trousers, overalls, hoods) should be washed in a standard, soap free, washing powder. You can get this gear filthy black during mop up operations, so soaking in a laundry soaker, such as Napisan or equivalent brand helps to get them clean. Do not use chlorine based bleaches.

Rhodia, the manufacturer of Proban states:

The flame retardant properties will be retained for the useful life of any article made from PROBAN® treated fabrics provided recommended wet laundering or dry cleaning procedures are followed.

Stuart & Heaton, a popular manufacturer of bushfires turn out gear state in their cleaning instructions:

Each batch of treated fabrics ... are certified by Rhodia Consumer Specialties Limited, producers of the chemical, to maintain its flame retardant characteristics for 50 washes providing the correct laundering instructions are followed. However, numerous independent tests have shown treated garments still pass this flammability test after 100 to 150 washes.

Conversely, garments can fail flammability tests after just a few washes if they are not laundered correctly.






















This incident with a drip torch clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of wearing full PPE treated with Proban. Neither the fireman nor the PPE were damaged.



Gloves



Some Brigades issue leather riggers' gloves which are better than nothing, but my personal preference is for wool lined Level 1 Wildfire gloves. These are longer than riggers' gloves and provide protection for the wrists as well as increased protection for the hands.

When gloves get filthy, especially after a lengthy mop up I wash them in normal laundry detergent and dry on the clothes line. This can make the leather stiff when dry, especially around the fingers, but don't use leather dressings, water, etc to make more supple - you'll know all about it on a fire ground when the gloves get super hot if you do. Just work them with your fingers until they become supple enough to wear. They will very soon free up for wearer comfort.