OFFICERS need to remember to remove their body armour when it\u2019s safe to do so, to give their backs a chance to recover, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Steve Kent, Federation Chair, said: \u201cFor the sake of your spinal health, remember that whenever you\u2019ve 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\u2019re doing some admin or having a break, it is really important to give your back a breather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve was talking after the Police Federation of England and Wales launched its \u2018Back to Basics\u2019 campaign.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
As well as encouraging officers to take off body armour when they didn\u2019t need it, the Federation said it planned to share videos and guides to help officers build their core strength.<\/p>\n
Steve Hartshorn said: \u201cWe get it; we\u2019ve all been there. You\u2019ve dealt with a job and you\u2019re back in the car or at the station and you don\u2019t take off your body armour. Maybe it seems a waste of time, as you\u2019ll only have to put it on again. Or maybe you just forget that you\u2019re wearing it. But that extra weight you\u2019re carrying for no reason could be wreaking havoc with your back.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake no mistake about it, body armour serves a very important function and should absolutely be worn when it\u2019s needed. The problem is wearing it when it\u2019s not needed. The human skeleton isn\u2019t built to carry around this amount of weight long-term and it could contribute to significant health issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Federation\u2019s Wellbeing Sub-Committee set up a body armour working group to look more closely at these issues,\u201d Steve said. \u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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\u2019 backs \u2013 something the Federation is welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Steve said: \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next few months, we\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will also be working with forces to remind them of their responsibility to look after officers\u2019 welfare and encourage good practice around body armour care, storage and checks after being damaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
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