International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research
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 |