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Firemen in trouble after 'resting in the wrong place'

01/06/2007

Several Greater Manchester firemen face disciplinary action over "involvement in the use of unauthorised rest facilities" during night shifts.

A dawn inspection by a team of fire chiefs found discovered that three officers had been resting on the floor in sleeping bags, which is contrary to health and safety rules.

The firemen, from Green Watch in Bury, face a disciplinary hearing on June 14th after ignoring orders that can they must rest only in £400 reclining chairs installed as a replacement for beds in the city-region's 41 stations.

Kevin Brown, a spokesman for the Fire Brigades' Union, said: "Firefighters make life-or-death decisions every day, but they appear to be being treated as fools.

"A number of members have complained about these chairs and that the facilities being provided are causing more problems than they are solving."

Firefighters in Greater Manchester are allowed three hours' rest during a 15-hour night shift when they are not on emergency call-out but are not permitted to fall asleep.

Last year it was reported that after the force spent £130,000 on the prescribed chairs, firemen were banned from sitting on them until they had a read a four-page user manual.





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