Think tall, don’t slouch! Now police get advice for wearing body armour
IT is designed to prevent injuries from bullets and knives.
But, ironically, body armour is exposing officers to a different sort of harm – giving them backache.
Police officers across Scotland have been given advice on how to wear kevlar vests without developing aches and pains.
Out goes hands tucked ‘mufflerstyle’ inside their kevlar protection and in comes a parade ground upright stance – with no slouching.
Physiotherapists at the national Police Treatment Centres organisation have circulated the Do’s and Don’ts of wearing body armour to Scotland’s 17,000 rank-and file officers.
The charity, with bases in Auchterarder, Perthshire, and in Yorkshire, warns that carrying the full kit can add a stone to an officer’s weight, leaving them open to arthritis, or even a slipped disc.
Smaller officers, including many women, are most at risk.
David Hamilton, vice-chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said: ‘It is a long standing challenge, balancing protection provided by body armour and health.
‘Officers won’t go out without body armour – that is a cast iron rule – therefore you will always need to ensure it is fitted correctly and you are wearing it correctly.
‘People do have issues with body armour and we look at alternative ways of carrying equipment – rather than carrying it on the body armour, having it on the belt instead.
‘Obviously there is extra weight involved and that means musculoskeletal injuries may occur. What the charity did was research saying “This is the best way to wear it to prevent any issues in the future”. It has been pretty well received actually. It is good preventative health education and that is why we support it.’ Police Treatment Centres provide physiotherapy and rehabilitation for serving and retired officers, financed by a £1.80 weekly donation from serving officers. Police wear at least two types of body armour – for routine patrols it weighs up to seven pounds, and for specialists, such as armed response teams, it can weigh more than a stone. Officers have been told: ‘Avoid stuffing your hands in the front of your body armour and/or slouching. This shifts your centre of gravity forward slightly, so you will have to compensate by poking your chin out, extending your neck, curving your mid back, tipping the pelvis and putting your weight onto your toes.’
Instead, officers should ‘think tall’ by ‘lengthening the back of the neck and gently nodding the chin’.
The advice adds: ‘Try to ensure that you equally load your kit onto your body armour. This will help to reduce the risk of developing abnormal wear and tear, arthritic changes and prolapsed discs.
‘Regularly change your body position to avoid a build up of unwanted stresses.
‘Should you lose or gain weight, make sure you get your body armour refitted! If it isn’t snug, you will have to work harder to move in it. If it feels restrictive, you may struggle to run and deal with frontline incidents with ease.’
Yesterday, a spokesman for the Scottish Police Authority said: ‘This is a serious issue. There is a strict standard of operations and expectations on uniformed police officers and it is all geared to make sure they are comfortable, everyone meets health and safety requirements, and they are able to do their job effectively and efficiently.’
‘Make sure they are comfortable’