UK union claims firefighters are at put at risk because of new policies on restricted use of BA
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"This procedure is unsafe, unlawful and unprofessional, and puts firefighters and the public at greater risk... and tears up half a century of health and safety law, best practice and firefighter training" (FBU)
Two fire and rescue services in the UK have been reported to the government by union bosses in a a disagreement over alleged safety issues.
According to an article by the BBC, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has acted on a policy to send crews into high-rise building fires without having their breathing apparatus equipment turned on.
The FBU claims the policy is both unsafe and unlawful. It has reported Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and Dorset and Wiltshire fire services for implementing the new policy.
The new practices put forward by the National Fire Chiefs Council last year instructed firefighters to turn on their breathing apparatus only if a gas monitor alarm is activated, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
But in a letter to the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the FBU argued it would be too late to wait until toxic gas was detected. The Fire Brigade Union claims it would leave firefighters not enough time to put on their breathing apparatus or escape to safety.
Riccardo la Torre, FBU national officer, said: "This procedure is unsafe, unlawful and unprofessional, and puts firefighters and the public at greater risk... and tears up half a century of health and safety law, best practice and firefighter training".
There was considerable concerns from firefighters across the region when the new practices were introduced last year, the LDRS reported.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service (HIWFRS) claimed the policy change would not prove a risk to firefighters.