Tag: Care and maintenance

Care and Maintenance

Posted on by dev@cda.group

Crucial to keep your team safe

 

Keeping fire kit clean and structurally intact isn’t optional nowadays. It’s about keeping the team safe because today fire is far from the only risk they face.

 

Today’s firefighters face today’s risks

 

Historically, firefighters wore smokey and well-worn kit as a badge of honour, an indicator of experience. This is no-longer how firefighters and brigades can afford to think.

 

Keeping clothing clean and properly maintained is not only a way to extend the life of the clothing but also the firefighter, because without it firefighters will potentially be exposed to harm whilst fighting a fire and even whilst they’re not.

 

Today’s firefighters are being exposed to ever more complex materials when they attend incidents. Plastics, fillings, chemicals, foams – each has the potential to be harmful through air-borne particles that are inhaled, but there is also increasing evidence of the danger of particulate harm through the skin.

 

A structural fire suit and accessories like gloves and hoods are not just designed to protect the firefighter against heat and water. A modern fire suit has layers that allow heat and moisture from perspiration to escape but block harmful contaminates like chemicals, blood and indeed particulates from passing through the layers of the suit.

 

However, if a firefighter is exposed to those harmful particulates, they will remain on the outer layers of the suit as well as gloves, boots, fire hoods etc and these garments need to be de-contaminated. Contaminates will remain and have the potential to harm the firefighter as they return to the station or the next time any of the garments are worn.

 

Modern risks need a modern approach

 

At FlamePro we have developed a state-of-art Care and Maintenance package, specifically designed to meet the needs of modern day firefighters.

 

Our Care and Maintenance package is completely tailored to the needs of your organisation. With a network of 22 service depots across Britain and state-of-the-art online resources we know that we can put together the right Care and Maintenance package for you.

 

Our Care Package

 

FlamePro offers our customers a turnkey solution for the care or maintenance of their turn-out gear, keeping garments, clean, de-contaminated and free from defect.

 

We offer a seven-day SLA as standard on the laundry service, using the latest technology to scan and identify individual garments before processing so that we can create a history for each garment. Take a look at the various elements of our package.

 

Cleaning and de-contamination

 

Firefighter protective clothing must be clean to give optimum performance. Dirty fire suits can insulate less, conducting more heat and even electricity. They will also not shed liquids as effectively.

 

However, as we’ve highlighted above many contaminants are carcinogens and toxic skin chemicals which can endanger the life of the firefighter. Suits need to be washed and de-contaminated in line with prescribed protocols.

 

Maintenance

 

Every garment that is sent for cleaning or de-contamination also undergoes an inspection to look for garment damage, not only to the outer and seams of course, but also by inspecting the thermal liner and the moisture barrier layer.

 

With a set of agreed criteria, garments are ether repaired (this could include re-proofing as well) as part of the service, or if repairs are un-economic we can follow agreed procedures to either ask for authorisation to retire the garment and issue a replacement or replace it automatically as agreed.

 

 

 

If you want us to, we can hold a stock of garments in order to be able to immediately get a garment out to your firefighter.

 

Any repairs are made with the same care and to the same high standards we use when manufacturing the garment. It is vital that we maintain the integrity of the garment in order that it can do its job and protect the firefighter.

 

Wardrobe Management

 

You can manage everything by merely logging onto our dedicated Wardrobe Management Portal (WMP) to arrange collection of dirty or damaged kit.

 

Our WMP also gives you access to your account with the ability to drill-down to individual wearers, seeing the history of their garments with details on cleaning, repairs and maintenance. This crucial insight gives you real-time information and analysis into the garment lifecycle as well as analysis of the costs of cleaning and repairs.

 

The WMP also allows new kit orders, ordering garments to be manufactured and pulling garments from held-in-reserve stock. We can also manage all Rank Change Requests through the user profile within the WMP.

 

Call and chat to one of our friendly experts by calling +44 (0) 1332 341030.

BS 8617:2019 is here, are you ready?

Posted on by Dominic Beasty

Everything you need to know about the new firefighter PPE cleaning, maintenance and repair standard.

 

It has been a long time coming but it’s finally here. As you know, the fear of contaminants has been a hot topic for a while now. This new standard aims to give guidance for cleaning, maintenance and repair of firefighters’ PPE. It covers a lot: inspection, testing, cleaning, decontamination, drying, repairs, replacement, and retirement/disposal. It even covers recording, storage and transportation.

 

BS 8617:2019 is applicable to garments, helmets, gloves, footwear and firehoods worn by anyone involved in firefighting and associated activities. If you’re responsible for cleaning, maintaining or repairing firefighter PPE, then listen up.

 

Remember, the standard doesn’t specifically explain how to undertake procedures, it simply states what those procedures should be.

 

Let’s start with inspection:

 

There are two types of inspection indicated in BS 8617:2019: routine and advanced. I’ll only talk about the routine inspection here because that is what will apply to most of you and will be conducted far more often. In fact, you’ll be doing a routine inspection every time you get a new piece of kit, at the start of every shift, after you use the kit and any other time you deem an inspection to be required. So, quite regularly, indeed.

 

You’ll need to inspect each piece of your kit (Garments, Helmets, Gloves, footwear and firehoods) for the following:

 

1. Soiling

2. Contamination

3. Physical damage

4. Missing pieces

5. Damaged reflection strips

6. Kit specific damage (like checking the soles of boots)

 

There is a lot of detail for each piece of kit. We’ll be creating “how-tos” which will show how to inspect each piece of kit in accordance with BS 8617:2019, starting with the Jacket, in a few weeks.

 

If anything fails the routine inspection, then it’s time to submit that piece of fire kit for advanced inspection. It’s important to have procedures set up to implement this.

 

Testing

 

You can rest assured that if you buy kit from FlamePro, tests have been done to ensure it is fit for purpose. However, each garment goes on a different journey once we hand it over to you. BS 8617:2019 recommends that further testing may be required after the kit has exceeded its expected lifecycle or after a particularly intense event where performance may have been compromised. We’d be happy to organise testing by an independent and specialised organisation if you have any concerns.

 

Cleaning and decontamination

 

This is a very important section of the new standard. This section details how to keep kit clean, on a daily basis by firefighters, and how to avoid cross contamination. There are two types of PPE (soft and hard) and two levels of cleaning (routine and advanced).

 

Routine cleaning would ideally take place (or at least begin) at the emergency scene. If that’s not possible there should be a designated area at the station to complete the process.

 

Routine cleaning is very simple (and applies to soft and hard PPE):

 

• A gentle brush or wipe off

• Rinse with water

• Dry (air dry only)

 

Please be aware that heavy scrubbing, high pressure water jets and force drying are not to be used.

 

Advanced Cleaning is more complicated:

 

Don’t worry too much about how the cleaning is conducted at this level. This cleaning will be completed off site. the important thing for you to understand is how to prepare for this cleaning:

 

After an incident – straight after, before getting in the truck – kit should be presented to trained personnel to determine if level 1 or level 2 cleaning is needed. If it is deemed that level 2 is needed, then the garments must be doffed and double-bagged. If it is soft PPE, then the first bag should be water-soluble. All bagged items should be sent for level 2 cleaning. We offer a fully compliant care and maintenance program; please get in touch to discuss how we can help.

 

This segues nicely into the next section:

 

Repair and Replacement

 

All repairs that we would conduct on your garments are done by trained personnel. We ensure we follow the strict guidelines laid out in this standard and make sure our products continue to live up to your expectations.

 

Retirement and disposal

 

How to know when it’s time to retire firefighters’ PPE? If any of the below are true, it’s time to move on.

 

1.It’s over 10 years since manufacture.

2. It is after the lifespan as determined by the manufacturer.

3. It’s not possible or cost effective to repair damage to the kit.

4. It has been contaminated by CBRN agents.

5. It’s important to have procedures in place to allow for quick replacement of retired PPE.

 

Disposing of firefighters’ retired PPE should be done in such a way that it will not be used in any firefighting or emergency activities, this includes live fire training. It’s also essential that tracking devices and all marks that could identify your organisation, or the wearer, be removed.

 

Recording and traceability

 

BS 8617:2019 makes it very clear that your PPE should be fully traceable. The following records should be kept for each item:

• The person(s) the PPE is issued to

• Date and condition when issues

• Manufacturer and model name/design

• Manufacturer’s identification number

• Month and year of manufacture

• Date(s) and findings of advanced inspection(s)

• Date of level 2 cleaning

• Date(s) of repair(s), who performed the repair(s), brief description of the repair(s) and batch number of repair materials (may be appropriate to take a picture)

• Date of retirement

• Date and method of disposal

 

Storage

 

Don’t store your PPE with sharp objects or anything else that could damage the kit.

 

PPE should not be stored in direct sunlight, in airtight containers, vacuum packed, at extreme temperatures (below -32 or above 82) or in contact with contaminates. This is all assuming that the PPE has been cleaned before storage (which it should be if there is intent to reuse). Soiled PPE should be stored in such a way that it cannot cause cross-contamination. Contain this kit as if before laundry (double bagged). Do not store in living quarters or with personal belongings.

 

Transportation

 

When transporting soiled PPE try to avoid doing so in private cars or public transport. Remember, the main aim here is to avoid contaminants to every care must be taken to avoid cross-contamination.

 

We know it’s important that you make the right choice. If you would like any further advice on what to look for when specifying your new firefighting kit don’t hesitate to get in touch or call one of our experts on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

5 things FlamePro takes care of so you don’t have to

Posted on by Dominic Beasty

Purchasing the firefighter PPE for your team is a huge responsibility.

 

You’re choosing the garments which protect them in life or death situations, no small decision. The gravity of your choice doesn’t stop the process from being a long, drawn-out, monotonous bore. FlamePro is here to help. Obviously, the safety of your team is our number one priority, but we have put in place ways to save you time and effort too.

 

1. Going to Tender.

 

Tenders are a long process. First you must research the market, then you have to research the companies, then you have to design and spec, then you have to come up with a way to score the process, and then a million more steps. You’ll probably finally get your firefighter PPE 18 months after you started, and it may not even be what you really wanted.

Enter the professional buying organisation! Let me tell you about ESPO. ESPO is a professional buying organisation which provides goods to the public sector. Owned by the public sector, it is a one-stop shop of over 25,000 products, 120 frameworks and bespoke procurement services. ESPO provide free support and advice from teams of experts. And here’s the good news! As of September 2019, FlamePro is a supplier to ESPO. That means that you can you can make buying decisions more confidently and with ease. ESPO has done all the hard work for you, so you can trust that what you buy is fully compliant. Buying FlamePro gear has never been easier. There’s no longer any need for drawn out tenders because ESPO has fully approved our firefighter PPE for you.

 

2. Dealing with multiple companies.

 

So, you talk to one company for your gloves, another company for your boots and one more for every other piece of kit. You compare product, discuss pricing and organise delivery ten times!

 

The Solve: Speak to one of the experts here at FlamePro and we’ll help you with everything, from head to toe. Easy!

 

3. Endless Research.

 

Wow, there really are a lot of options out there aren’t there. Does that boot work with these gloves? What about helmets? It can be very overwhelming trying to ingest all the specifications, standards and data.

 

The Solve: We have specially selected accessories and combined them into useful bundles. Visit our website and find exactly what you’re looking for by filtering our accessory bundles by application or industry. Or give us a call and we’ll give you a recommendation.

 

4. Waiting for your kit.

 

How frustrating is it to order your firefighter PPE only to wait 6 months before it turns up?! It simply isn’t realistic for you to have to plan so far in advance for potentially just one or two kits.

 

The Solve: FlamePro hold stock of much of our range so a 2-day lead isn’t unheard of. For manufactured orders we’ll have it with you in 6-8 weeks. When speed is required, FlamePro have you covered.

 

5. Care and Maintenance.

 

As you know: a firefighter suit is only as strong as its weakest seam. And with this new understanding of the risks of contaminated gear, it’s no surprise that care and maintenance is high on many of your agendas. Ad hoc cleaning is becoming a thing of the past and neglecting the maintenance of your firefighter ppe is simply dangerous. The importance doesn’t stop the process from being frustrating and mundane.

 

The Solve: With a FlamePro care and maintenance package we care for and clean all your garments on a regular basis so you can relax, it’s taken care of.

 

Like I said earlier, our first priority is keeping your team safe. Making your life easier is a great added bonus!

 

We know it’s important that you make the right choice. If you would like any further advice on what to look for when specifying your new firefighting kit don’t hesitate to get in touch or call one of our experts on +44 (0) 1332 341030.