Personal protective equipment (PPE), workwear and women

Conference is appalled that in 2017 some women are still being provided sub-standard or
ineffective PPE and workwear clothing. Many women are still being limited in their choices for
well-fi tting personal protective equipment and workwear. Well-fi tting PPE is a basic requirement
for the health and safety of all our Members including women. Ill-fi tting PPE has historically
put women Members at risk and should not be tolerated in today’s Fire and Rescue Service.
Women’s workwear should be of the same standard, material and protection as their men
colleagues. The only difference in the garments should be that they are provided in a women’s
and not unisex fi t. Many women are having to wear ill-fi tting men’s shirts and trousers or
specially procured sub-standard items. This is not only discrimination but potentially dangerous
for our women Members.

We demand that the Executive Council, in conjunction with the NWC raise this issue of PPE as
a matter of urgency with every UK Fire and Rescue Service, and ask for a detailed breakdown
of each UK Fire and Rescue Service and the items of PPE issued to our women Members.
Once the information is collated, each woman Member who is issued PPE should be asked to
feedback on the integrity and fi t of the clothing. A separate evaluation of workwear should be
carried out in all UK Fire and Rescue Services to determine which Services are providing their
women with less favourable workwear and produce an evaluation of the results to the NWC for
FBU Conference 2018.