Firefighter PPE gets personal

Bristol's joint managing director was invited by International Fire Fighter magazine to give his views on future trends and direction of PPE product innovation in December's IFF Comment leader column. This piece provided an opportunity for him to highlight some recent technical developments and how a holistic approach, which places a firefighter's wellbeing at the heart of PPE provision, is becoming the norm. This involves designing garments which take fully into account the risks associated with fireground operational factors, the internal physiological responses of the wearer and the long-term health issues related to garment cleanliness focusing on regular washing, decontamination and repair. The article also examines the importance of PPE compatibility.