Firefighters at Dundee Airport fear that being made to work with sub-standard equipment has compromised their safety.
Their protective leggings are designed for open-ground firefighting, road traffic collisions and associated rescue operations, and not for aviation infernos where the flames and heat are more intense.
Their concerns have been addressed by Highlands and Islands Airports (HIAL), owners of Riverside and 10 other airports in the north of Scotland, who have promised better leggings will be provided as soon as possible.
The fears were raised by one of the team, who contacted The Courier, asking not to be identified. He said the airport firefighters’ main role is to provide an immediate emergency response in the event of an aircraft accident.
Any accident can be dangerous and when attending the only things a firefighter can rely on is his or her training, their team members and level of protective equipment they are supplied with.
“We have discovered that protective fire leggings supplied to us as part of our main protective firefighting kit are not of a suitable standard to be worn during internal fire fighting operations,” the firefighter added.
“Bristol Uniforms UK, who supply us with our uniforms, stipulate that for internal structural fire fighting the minimum requirements are for a Level 1 type uniform.
“The leggings supplied to Dundee and to the other airports that form part of Highlands & Islands Airports Group are an inferior Level 2 type uniform. This uniform is designed only to be used for wild land firefighting, road traffic collisions and associated rescue work.
“It has only been through luck that firefighters have not already suffered severe burns as a large part of our training involves exercising in hot fire situations at our training ground in Dundee and elsewhere.”‘Too busy’The firefighter said senior management at HIAL’s Inverness headquarters were informed of the concerns on April 22 “but they were too busy to make any decisions as they were on holiday.”
As of last Friday there were still no decisions regarding firefighters’ concerns, he said.
“We have been informed that it would cost approximately £80,000 to reissue new firefighting leggings to all firefighters within the group and this financial implication is all that management appear to be concerned with,” the source stated.
“In Dundee we have managed to cobble together old pairs of leggings that meet the standards to allow us to provide fire cover at the airport but most of the other airports in the group are still running with the inferior quality uniform.
“All we expect from our employers is that they provide us with the best training and personal protective equipment that they can. This they clearly are not doing.”
By not immediately withdrawing the inferior leggings and replacing them with kit fit for purpose, HIAL are “clearly putting financial concerns before their employees’ lives,” the firefighter said.
A spokeswoman for the firm said, “HIAL can confirm that the issue with regards to the fire leggings was raised internally last month.
“A risk assessment was immediately undertaken and temporary risk mitigation put in place while replacement leggings were being sourced and priced with firefighting clothing suppliers.
“Replacement leggings are to be issued as soon as possible.”