Two paramedics unions have been dragged before the Industrial Relations Commission for recommending members shed part of their hot and heavy uniforms during the recent heatwaves.
The Australian Paramedics Association (APA) and the Health Services Union NSW (HSU) were hauled into court this week by NSW Ambulance for advising paramedics not to wear long-sleeved over-shirts during the recent weeks of soaring temperatures across NSW.
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APA NSW president Steve Pearce said he had received complaints about the heavy uniform from across the state, particularly the west and north-west, where temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees.
Some paramedics became soaked in sweat "from collar to waist" in the polyester blend, forcing them to change their saturated shirt several times a shift, while others suffered rashes and skin irritations, Mr Pearce said.
APA delegates had raised the issue with NSW Ambulance last summer, but a uniform committee they established didn't appear to have made any progress, leaving the union no choice but to tell members to wear their undershirts, he said.
"The uniform problem has been a problem for over 12 months," Mr Pearce told Fairfax Media. "It's overheating members. We need either different clothing or a different fabric of the same clothing - something that insulates you but doesn't overheat you."
In two member updates - one during the scorching November temperatures and other during the first heatwave of 2017, the APA recommended paramedics forgo the heavy, top layer of their "inappropriate uniforms".
The HSU issued a similar recommendation in January.
"We're not suggesting paramedics be issued board shorts, but the fact of matter is you have to be able to function in 40 degrees," HSU NSW secretary Gerard Hayes, a former paramedic, said.
"It's hard to do that in uniforms that are heavy and not breathable."
The over-shirts were about 65 per cent polyester, Mr Hayes said.
"Cost of uniforms has come before the practicality of the wearing of them. It's being played out in cold and hot climates," he said.
At the Industrial Relations Commission in Sydney on Monday, NSW Ambulance industrial relations representative Brooke Craig told Commissioner Peter Newall that paramedics who attended an accident scene in their plain undershirt were at increased risk of getting hit by a car, and risked not being identified by other emergency services.
Ms Craig told the IRC court hearing that the long sleeves and collar of the shirt also offered sun protection, while "mitigating factors" included that paramedics may not be outside for their whole shift, instead in air-conditioned cars or homes to collect patients.
"They [the unions] are actually putting their members at risk by giving them this particular direction," Ms Craig said. "Paramedics are travelling around in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle that has very good air-conditioning."
She said both unions flouted dispute resolution procedures in instructing their members to wear their undershirts, and had given NSW Ambulance little time to respond to their concerns.
Mr Pearce said he "utterly refuted" concerns around identification, saying paramedics could wear their plain shirt with an Ambulance-branded fluoro vest, cap, and name tag to clearly identify themselves.
In July 2016, NSW Ambulance sparked outrage for not supplying cold weather gear to paramedics working in freezing conditions at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains.
Following an open hearing and two confidential conferences, Commissioner Newall made a "strong recommendation" that all paramedics cease wearing the plain, short-sleeved undershirts, and instead wear a button-up shirt or their zip-up overshirt "as a matter of discretion".
He said either shirt would provide an "immediate, recognisable" sign that someone is a paramedic, especially when they are dealing with patients who are "not necessarily thinking or acting rationally" if they are injured or intoxicated.
"I'm not at all satisfied that wearing a monochrome t-shirt, even with a hat and pants, will satisfy that," Commissioner Newall said.
He added that it was his view, as an Australian, that the collarless t-shirt was "unsafe" in intense sun, and one of the collared uniform shirts would provide greater UV protection.
"I don't take lightly the comfort of people tasked with helping us, especially with this current weather," Commissioner Newall said. "But I take above comfort the presence of safety."
Mr Pearce rejected the suggestion the long-sleeved shirts were important for sun safety, saying paramedics were supplied with plenty of sunscreen.
Commissioner Newall instructed all three parties to meet as quickly as possible - ideally within 24 hours - to resolve the dispute. It is understood the parties will meet on Wednesday.
In a statement following the court appearance, NSW Ambulance reiterated the Commissioner's recommendations and said the uniform "is also necessary to ensure staff are compliant with Work Health & Safety requirements".
"NSW Ambulance will be meeting again to discuss this issue with union representatives shortly to ensure this matter is satisfactorily resolved," the statement said.