Design Process for an Ergonomic Solution to the Police Duty Belt

Abstract

Police officers carry various devices on their duty belts for use during patrols. The weight of a loaded belt can range from ~25–35 lbs. Such loading can lead to overexertion and associated injuries (e.g., low back pain) as well as reduced officer performance leading to injuries from violence. In addition, the distribution of the load can compromise officer balance, leading to slips and falls. The objective of this research was to identify design issues with current duty belts and to develop a design framework for police department use in creating custom ergonomic configurations of equipment on a belt. The study was divided into three phases: a literature review, a field study, and design of the ergonomic belt configuration. The resulting design framework for duty belt equipment configuration may serve as a design guideline for police departments and may reduce the incidence of officer musculoskeletal injuries.

Appendix: Equipment Placement Comments

General	“Place equipment with restraints or locking mechanism towards the front because it is harder for an attacker to grab my baton when he has to reach behind me”
	“Arrange my equipment for comfort and ease of access-being able to access all equipment without looking. I wear my belt tight so items don’t move and always in the same place, so I can get what I need without looking or thinking”
	“My waist is too small to fit everything. So I do not carry everything”
	“All weapons on dominant side”
	“I place things based on my training”
	“Places nothing on my back to avoid falling on it and leaning on it when in the patrol vehicle”
Gun	“Placed on dominant hand side per department policy”
Radio	“Non-dominant side in order to communicate if gun is drawn”
Baton	“Place my baton on my dominant hand side”
	“Place my baton on my non-dominant side so I can cross-draw and expand as I pull it with my dominant hand”
Flashlight	“Placed on non-dominant hand side so I can draw it while I also have my gun drawn”
Magazines	“Place such that the non-dominant hand can grab and reload the gun held in the dominant hand”
OC Spray	“I put it where I have room”
	“I do not carry the spray anymore because I will never use it. I always get some in my eyes when I use it”
Taser	“Per department policy is placed on the non-dominant side to allow for cross-draw.” (do not put TASER and gun on same side as it could lead officer to grab the wrong weapon)
	“I am ambidextrous. My gun goes on my right side and my TASER uses a lefty holster on my left. If a weapon is in my right hand then I know it’s my gun, and in my left hand, then I know it’s the TASER”
	“I angle the TASER as much as I can to avoid it digging into my leg”
	“I do not carry the TASER because I have no room for it”
	“I do not carry a TASER because it digs into my leg when I sit down and I never use it”
Handcuffs	“Place on non-dominant hand to allow for gun to be drawn. Was trained at BLET (or police academy) to handcuff with their non-dominant hand”
	“Quit carrying an extra set of handcuffs because never used them, and injured myself when I fell on them”
Gloves	“I put it in the center of my back as it fits nicely there”
	“The gloves are kept in my pocket, not on my belt”
	“I put the glove case upside down in the center of my back to avoid it unbuttoning every time I sit down”