WEST Yorkshire Fire Service staff were scalded because of a boiler fault in their new £31 million headquarters, it has been revealed.
Four people were injured by hot water from the boilers – which were located next to kitchen sinks in the state-of-the-art building in Heckmondwike.
The detail is revealed in a new report on the injuries suffered by fire service staff between April 2025 and March 2026.
What do the figures show?
In that period there were 128 accidents, a six per cent rise compared to the previous year.
One of the accident categories is “contact with” – which includes injuries from hot surfaces, sharp objects or animals.
In total, there were 26 accidents involving staff that fall into this category.
The report went before members of the Authority’s People and Culture Committee on Friday.
Cats scratching firefighters
It says that accidents in this category include a wide variety of incidents, from cats scratching firefighters while they are being rescued from blazes to “nails penetrating fire boots.”
The report to members said there was no clear pattern in the injuries in this category.
But it added: “The one exception was four scalds from hot water boilers, located next to kitchen sinks.
“These occurred in the new HQ and Spen station.
“Some were operator error (e.g. accidentally catching the lever with their arm or hand was underneath), however some were due to an intermittent fault where they would discharge small amounts of water.
“These were inspected with no faults found, a couple we relocated to reduce the risk of accidental operation.
“There have been no recent cases.”
The new headquarters officially opened in December, but staff had been based there for months before the official opening.
The new Spen Valley Fire Station, a replacement for the former Cleckheaton Station, has since opened on the same site.
The boiler issue was not discussed at Friday's meeting.