Aperture Northampton – PPE Standards

Jensen Houghton

In this document, I will be reviewing the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standards for
Aperture Northampton. I aim to address any flaws and outline the new standards for the
2021/2022 operational season.

Why is PPE important?

Personal Protective Equipment is important for several reasons, the main being safety of
our operational staff. The type of PPE required for incidents varies, depending on the
incident type ad what kind of access we can get to the incident (i.e., via a car or on foot).

During a global pandemic, on this scale, we have to follow the government guidelines to the
best of our ability. This means that when in attendance at an incident, we must (at
minimum) be wearing face makes and if necessary, gloves too. We must ensure the safety
of ourselves and the public against this awful disease. When working at an active incident,
many risked are posed to us, which is why we are launching are new education program
which will run twice a week. Consisting of two-hour long lessons per day; they will be
separated by an hour food break. Risks can vary from broken glass, to smoke and rapid
flowing water.

What are the issues with current PPE standards?

The biggest issue with Aperture Northampton’s PPE standards is that not everyone is
adhering to it for various reasons such as not physically having access to it or not bothering
wearing the right kit.

The standard of kit is also not meeting requirements, boots need to be clean and polished
before the start of each active duty. Hi-Visibility jackets must be washed on a monthly basis
to ensure that any mud, soot or blood obstruct the reflective components of the jackets.
Too many fires have been attended where personnel have been in close proximity of the
smoke and have not been wearing a respirator. During the summer, shorts and t-shirts must
not be worn when on an active incident, PPE must be worn in order to ensure maximum
amount of safety possible.

These issues will now be addressed with the updated standards below.

The 2021/2022 standards:

AFA Highrise – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Coat, Mask

Unlawful Public Order – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Mask

CBRNE – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Respirator

Fire (2-4 PA) – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Coat, Mask

Fire (4+ PA) – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Respirator

Fire Highrise – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Mask

Aircraft Incident – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Mask

Boat Fire – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Top, PFD, Mask

Boat Rescue – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Top, PFD, Mask

Railway Incident – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Mask

RTC Persons Trapped – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Mask

Vehicle Fire – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Mask

HAZMAT – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Coat, Respirator

Flooding in Open – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Coat, PFD, Mask

Animal Rescue (Small/Large) – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Coat, Mask

Rescue from Depth – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Coat, Mask

Rescue from Collapsed Structure – Boots, Black Trousers, Hi-Vis, Helmet, Respirator

Rescue from Height – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Coat, Mask

Rescue from Unstable Surface – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Top, PFD, Mask

Rescue from Water – Boots, Black Trousers, Black Top, PFD, Mask