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International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research

Table 10 Actionable directives that manufacturers could integrate, per survey results and 1:1 interviews

From: Examination of current U.S. female firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) sizing and fitting process challenges: an opportunity to improve safety

 

PPE manufacturer actionable directives

Justification

1

Provide more transparent communications to firehouse gear managers and female firefighters that women’s size-specific coats/pants are available, per NFPA requirements

Female firefighters adopting fire coats/pants in women’s sizes is low (< 50%). Women may not know that gendered products are available to them

2

Add more relevant measures to size women into coats/pants

Not enough measures to appropriately size/fit women into coats/pants

3

Develop a method for firehouses when sizing/fitting female firefighters in used or gear purchased for other firefighters/inventory

In this study, 30% of the women surveyed wore gear not purchased for them. Interviewees reported receiving used fire coats

4

Develop better training modules and tools for manufacturer representatives to understand the unique nuances of sizing/fitting the female body into PPE

About 25% of the women surveyed in this study experienced physical fit issues with their fire coats/pants. Through interviews, women reported that manufacturer representatives did a poor job sizing because many female firefighters at their station received poorly fitting products

5

Consider developing after-market insoles for assistance with the fit, arch support, and comfort

From the survey, women reported that their boots were too long/wide, and they purchased after-market insoles to help resolve those fit issues

6

Develop women’s-specific sized fire gloves

Almost 50% of the female survey respondents reported difficulties finding a glove that fits well

7

Provide size/fit consistency across manufacturers and models

The interview data discovered that fit within and between brands was inconsistent

8

Conduct anthropometric studies to understand the female firefighter-specific body, foot/calf, and hand measures (static and dynamic)

Current measures used to make fire coats/pants, boots, and gloves are not based upon female firefighter bodies, feet/calves, and hands

9

Systematically document the existing product's female size/fit challenges through wear tests (static and dynamic)

Wear tests using existing products can be an efficient way to understand issues before new product development

  1. PPE Personal Protective Equipment. NFPA National Fire Protection Association