#BackToBasics: Officers should remove armour when safe to give backs a chance to recover

OFFICERS need to remember to remove their body armour when it’s safe to do so, to give their backs a chance to recover, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.

Steve Kent, Federation Chair, said: “For the sake of your spinal health, remember that whenever you’ve got an opportunity, and you are in the station or a safe environment, you need to take your stab vest off and have a good stretch. If you’re doing some admin or having a break, it is really important to give your back a breather.”

Steve was talking after the Police Federation of England and Wales launched its ‘Back to Basics’ campaign.

PFEW National Board Lead for Operational Policing Steve Hartshorn said that officers around the country were suffering from back, shoulder and neck pain that could be caused by wearing body armour for too long.

As well as encouraging officers to take off body armour when they didn’t need it, the Federation said it planned to share videos and guides to help officers build their core strength.

Steve Hartshorn said: “We get it; we’ve all been there. You’ve dealt with a job and you’re back in the car or at the station and you don’t take off your body armour. Maybe it seems a waste of time, as you’ll only have to put it on again. Or maybe you just forget that you’re wearing it. But that extra weight you’re carrying for no reason could be wreaking havoc with your back.

“Make no mistake about it, body armour serves a very important function and should absolutely be worn when it’s needed. The problem is wearing it when it’s not needed. The human skeleton isn’t built to carry around this amount of weight long-term and it could contribute to significant health issues.”

Steve added that car seats and office seats were not designed to be sat in for prolonged periods by officers wearing body armour, and that it could all add up to unnecessary pains and strains.

“The Federation’s Wellbeing Sub-Committee set up a body armour working group to look more closely at these issues,” Steve said. “We found that not only were there problems with the weight of the plates used, but also the weight caused by what officers are carrying on their person, eg mobile units and kit.

“The group established that officers from across England and Wales are being referred to treatment centres with back, shoulder and neck pain, which could be caused by wearing body armour. The centres have created specialist classes to teach core and strengthening exercises to protect members’ backs – something the Federation is welcoming.”

The PFEW is working with specialist centres Flint House, North-West Police Treatment Centres and The Ben Fund to draw attention to the damage body armour can cause, and ways to prevent harm.

Steve said: “It really is about going back to basics and looking at what simple tweaks you can make at home or at work to help your back, neck, and shoulders.

“Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing ways to help ease the strain on your muscles and skeleton, with useful guides and videos that can help you build core strength and complement any existing training plans.

“We will also be working with forces to remind them of their responsibility to look after officers’ welfare and encourage good practice around body armour care, storage and checks after being damaged.”