Original title: Perceptions of turnout gear fit and movement restrictions among firefighters of different gender, service type, and measurement status
Kuanting Chen, Samantha S Dardaman, Paul Siebert, Meredith McQuerry +1 · August 2026
Firefighter protective turnout gear often does not fit properly, which can make it hard to move on the job. To find out why, researchers surveyed firefighters about how their gear fits in general and during specific firefighting tasks. They analyzed how fit relates to a person's gender, their job type, and whether they were measured before getting their gear. They found that women and firefighters who skipped pre-sizing measurements faced a significantly higher risk of ill-fitting gear. Interestingly, firefighters across all groups reported similar limits to their movement. Task-specific questions made the challenges for women and unmeasured firefighters even clearer. Suggested solutions include easier access to gender-specific designs, better sizing methods, and more frequent gear checks.
Imagine buying a uniform for a physically demanding job. Most people can find one that fits, but some body types are not well served by standard sizes. You could get measured first, but not everyone does. Here, the uniform is firefighter turnout gear, and the researchers found that women and those who skipped the measurement are more likely to end up with a poor fit, even though everyone has trouble moving in it.
Firefighters depend on well-fitting gear for safety and mobility. This study shows that women and those not pre-sized are especially likely to have ill-fitting gear, which can impair their work and increase injury risk. The findings push for better sizing procedures and gender-specific designs.
The abstract doesn't say. It covers perceptions of gear fit and movement limitations among firefighters of different gender, service type, and measurement status.
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Perceptions of turnout gear fit and movement restrictions among firefighters of different gender, service type, and measurement status — Kuanting Chen, Samantha S Dardaman, Paul Siebert et al. — Applied ergonomics — doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2026.104871
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.