Submitted by SWFBU on
TO: ALL MEMBERS
Dear Brother/Sister
PENSIONS: NEW FITNESS REPORT SUPPORTS FBU CONCERNS AROUND FIREFIGHTER SAFETY STANDARDS
A key debate over the past three years has been around the issue of fitness within the Fire and Rescue Service and the impact of ageing on fitness levels. This has been central to the FBU argument that the Government proposals for pensions are not occupationally based i.e. they do not take account of the actual job firefighters do – or the standards they are required to meet in order to carry out this occupation safely and professionally. A significant new report once again confirms that the issues we have raised consistently have still not been addressed by Central Government throughout this period.
Firefit: Interim Report
The interim report from Firefit ‘Enhancing the Health, Fitness and Performance of UK Firefighters: an Interim Report’ supports the FBU’s concerns which have been raised with Government for over 3 years. The full report can be accessed via this link:
http://www.firefitsteeringgroup.co.uk/enhancing_%20the_health_%20fitness...
This interim report examines and considers the physical demands of firefighters’ work, identifies some of the most arduous tasks and attempts to set out a recommendation on the safe standard that is required to perform the role.
It contains results from five scenarios:
1. Hose run
2. Equipment carry
3. Stair climb
4. Casualty evacuation
5. Wild-land fire
It contains some very useful findings that support our concerns around the ability of firefighters to maintain operational fitness and a need for an occupational fitness standard that reflects the role.
• Page 31
‘a fitness standard should not be based on the fitness of those currently employed, but simply on the demands of the task itself’.
It also seriously undermines the Government claim that 100% of firefighters can maintain operational fitness to age 60. This claim is based on a number of false assumptions, including that FRS safety requirements can be met at a (cardiorespiratory fitness) standard of 35 VO2. This report suggests that allowing people to continue at this lower standard while undertaking remedial training is potentially unsafe. This is a key point that the FBU has been making in relation to the ability of firefighters being able to work beyond age 55.
The report actually suggests that the safe standard should be slightly higher than the current widely adopted standard of 42 VO2.
• Page 33
‘The present investigation represents the first physical demands analysis of UK fire service roles, and improves on previous research in other nations by implementing a thorough task analysis and setting a minimum acceptable pace for tasks during experimentation. As such, it is recommended that future occupational fitness standards in the UK Fire and Rescue Service be based on the occupational demands of the job identified in the findings of the present study. Given that several study participants currently employed as operational firefighters did not complete some tasks satisfactorily or maintain necessary pace, an alteration to the guidelines surrounding the national fitness standard may be warranted, as well as cross validation work between the proposed standard and the criterion tasks. The present study indicates that firefighters with an aerobic capacity below an occupational fitness standard of 42.3 ml.kg-1.min-1 would not be guaranteed to be safe and effective in their ability to complete necessary roles within their occupation. Although this does not greatly differ from the current fitness standard of 42 ml.kg-1.min-1, it does indicate that the lower VO2 max standard of 35 ml.kg-1.min-1 for continuation of work with remedial training amongst operational firefighters is potentially unsafe for the majority of firefighters.’ (Our emphasis).
The union has been accused of scaremongering with claims that significant numbers of firefighters could face capability dismissals simply for getting older and being unable to maintain their operational fitness. The Government’s own ‘Williams’ review highlighted that between 55-60 years, 66% were likely to fall below the minimum standard of 42 VO2.
Government have tried to play this down by saying that 100% of firefighters can maintain operational fitness if the lower 35VO2 standard is used. This report seriously undermines this view and adds more weight to the FBU claims that the NPA of 60 is unworkable.
FBU case confirmed again
This is the latest piece of evidence which broadly supports the approach taken by the FBU throughout this debate and through our long-running campaign. It confirms, yet again, that the attacks on our pensions take no account of the needs of firefighters or the needs of our Service. We shall now raise this within the Service and with politicians across the UK as further evidence as to why Central Government should see sense, take account of the evidence and negotiate a settlement to our dispute.
Best wishes.
Yours fraternally
MATT WRACK
GENERAL SECRETARY
