How To Put On A Duty Belt Buckle Whay Side

Recommendations to ease the pain of critical equipment for police force officers.

Duty belt discomfort is a mutual complaint and a pregnant health and condom issue for uniformed police personnel. Hurting in the depression back, hip and pelvis tin exist caused past pressure level exerted by the edges of the duty belt, holster shank and other equipment attached to the belt. Further compounding the problem is the length of time officers are required to perform their job backside the cycle of the patrol car.

Duty belts are designed to bear equipment in a readily accessible fashion while leaving the officer's hands free. The equipment is a necessary part of the job and must be carried on his/her body while working. Duty belt equipment tin can include a handgun, handcuffs, flashlight, latex gloves, baton, radio and pepper spray canister and can weigh up to 20 pounds when fully loaded. Co-ordinate to a University of California, San Francisco/Berkeley Ergonomics Program report (see Reference 1), discomfort from wearing a duty belt is driven by the amount/weight of equipment on the belt, the placement of those items against the body and the force exerted on the equipment when the officer is seated in the patrol vehicle.

Duty belts are typically 2.25 inches wide and made of leather. The rectangular brass buckle can be ii inches wide by nearly 3 inches high and places uncomfortable pressure on the front end of the pelvis and belly when driving and/or sitting for extended periods of time. Over the years, the discomfort felt from duty belts has gotten worse because of the increased time spent in vehicles and heavier gear carried on the belt. The addition of radios and extra handcuffs, handguns and spare magazines tin can add 3 to iv pounds to the belt.

The belt itself is some other source of discomfort. The more rigid the duty belt holster system, the more critical are its shape and location in obtaining a proper fit for the private. Many leather duty belts can take several years to break in.

Patrol vehicle seats can be another factor in duty belt discomfort. Bolsters on the sides of the seats can produce pressure on the sidearm and radio, which tends to push button the officer forward, reducing the amount of low back support. Worn vehicle cushions tin exacerbate the discomfort past allowing the officer to sink lower into the middle of the seat.

Law departments should consider different options to reduce duty belt discomfort. Some options to consider would be:

1. Alternatives for the duty belt

Suspenders are effective because they distribute the weight of the equipment over the shoulders and breast rather than simply on the waist. That also means that the belt does not have to exist worn as tight, cutting down on pressure exerted on the tummy and waist surface area. There are safety concerns well-nigh suspenders because they can exist used confronting the officer in a struggle, but newer versions human action similar a clip-on tie when pulled, reducing the risk of injury to the officer.
Tactical vests or harnesses incorporate multiple pouches over the chest and back. A harness goes over the ballistic vest and tin can reduce the demand for officers to go on reaching around for their equipment.

2. Loading the duty belt

Avert placing difficult objects (handcuffs) on the lumbar spine. Handcuffs carried on the back of the belt may create back pain from abiding pressure on the lower back while sitting in a car. Although that may not be a problem for shell officers who patrol an area on foot, information technology tin can cause severe bug in vehicle-based "response" officers. Outside the car, they can be dangerous in a fall, where the spine can exist injured severely past the handcuffs.
Place a soft pouch over the lumbar spine on the duty belt. A good example might be a soft pouch containing latex gloves.
Flashlights should be compact, light and powerful. Thinner and smaller lights are easier to command and are more than likely to exist carried at all times. Metal flashlights can exist uncomfortable when left in the direct sunlight or held in an ungloved hand on a common cold twenty-four hours. Flashlights are often placed on the hood or trunk of a car, so consideration should be given to 1 with an anti-gyre adequacy. Long, cylindrical flashlights tend to be carried in a flashlight ring. Rings are elementary and cheap, and are user-friendly for flashlights that are non regularly carried. Flashlights in a ring with a great amount of vertical and horizontal freedom tin can brand the lite insecure and uncomfortable to acquit.

3. Start with a improve belt

The 2003 U.C. Ergonomics Program report found the following chugalug characteristics constructive in reducing duty belt discomfort:

Rounded, padded edges on the top and bottom. Belts with a hard edge tend to dig in under the ribs, whereas a belt with rounder, padded edges on the acme and bottom arrange better to the body.
Lower profile, with a two-inch thickness (tiptop to bottom) of belt and buckle. Nylon belts that are ii inches wide resulted in increased officer comfort with fewer complaints of the belt earthworks in under the ribs and on the rim of the pelvis.
Washable, moderately flexible nylon material. Nylon duty gear is generally less expensive, lighter, and easier to maintain than leather gear of comparable quality. Leather gear is generally regarded as having a more than traditional and professional appearance. One option might be to endeavor a belt that combines both materials, one where the chugalug is a manufactured nylon duty gear belt that has the appearance of leather, with a 'basket-weave' pattern.
Leather belts with buckle closures have less adjustability than nylon belts and accept aligning holes for the buckle 1.25 inches apart, which can go out the chugalug too tight or besides loose. A belt that is besides loose can exist problematic in the event of a foot pursuit. A chugalug that is too tight creates excessive force per unit area on the officer'due south pelvic and hip areas.

4. Don't forget the buckle

Traditionally, belts have been fastened with a metal buckle, but plastic buckles are becoming more common. Many comprise a three-way buckle system for added security. A 3-way buckle requires the wearer to depress a 3rd release grab earlier the buckle tin be separated, which decreases the risk of the belt being released by anyone simply its wearer.

Plastic buckles are oftentimes favored over the traditional metal versions because they are easier to adjust to the officers' natural curves. Metal belt buckles accept pre-fix lengths determined past the position of the holes in the belt and are difficult to customize.
If metal buckles are used, rounded buckles (2.25 inches high) that are narrower in the middle (one.75) are far more comfortable and fit amend when sitting.

Patrol vehicle seat comfort

Unlike regular sitting in a chair, when a patrol auto is in motion, the seated body is discipline to dissimilar forces: accelerations and decelerations, lateral swaying from side to side, and whole-body up and down vibrations. The feet are actively being used and cannot be used to support and stabilize the lower body as normally happens when they are placed on the floor.

The 2003 U.C. Ergonomics Plan study found the following vehicle support measures effective in creating comfort while driving:

An added seat cushion with upholstered retentiveness foam and a prophylactic layer underneath will decrease the tendency to slide as the officer enters or exits the vehicle.
A contoured, upholstered lumbar cushion with a plastic insert to maintain its shape and straps to hold it in identify around the backrest of the seat volition provide additional lumbar support for the back.
A combination back and seat cushion with hinged back and seat sections will provide additional back up for the back and pelvis, while enhancing comfort while driving. The backrest portion should be shaped to the preference of the user and supplemented past an optional upholstered lumbar pad.

Some other potential solution is to change driving habits when on patrol and on the drive home.

Suit the motorcar seat. Sit down in the car with the duty belt on and move the seat forward and back until it is as comfortable as possible. Bring the seat backrest to where information technology is comfortable against the duty chugalug and notwithstanding offers support to the back. If you lot are adding a cushion or lumbar support to the seat, identify the absorber in the seat get-go, so adjust.
Change posture oft. Retrieve to move from time to time. Wait until driving conditions are suitable to change posture in the seat. This can alleviate postural fatigue.
Take breaks. To avert driver fatigue and minimize postural discomfort, take a rest suspension whenever possible, one that offers the opportunity to stand up and move around.

Bank check the February effect of Government Product News for a Emergency Management and Response product section.

Kathy Espinoza is a board certified professional ergonomist. She has worked with Torrance, Calif.-based Keenan & Associates for 7 years providing workstation assessments, solutions and employee preparation. She has more than than 12 years' experience coordinating and teaching a chronic back pain program and wellness program for a major hospital. She has published 33 manufactures in the field of ergonomics, rubber and workplace issues. She has taught "Ergonomics In the Workplace" at UC, Riverside for the past 10 years.

Reference

1. For more information on duty chugalug ergonomics, consult Ergonomics and Safety in Law Enforcement, by Fabrice Czarnecki and Ira Janowitz, 2003. The article tin be found at http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Czarnecki/ergonomics_and_safety_in_law_enforcement.htm