Article 10: ECUFPA: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY – KNOWING FIRE RELATED HEALTH HAZARDS
It is vitally important that you are aware of, and know how to avoid, illnesses and problems that may result from vigorous firefighting activity and exposure to smoke, dust and heat.
If you have a medical condition (e.g. asthma, diabetes, heart disease or epilepsy) that may be aggravated by the type of work undertaken on the fire ground, you should seek medical advice to ensure you are able to carry out such work.
Smoke and Dust Hazards: Smoke and dust are ever-present irritants to your eyes and lungs at fires. Prolonged exposure to heavy smoke can be hazardous. In addition to restricting visibility, heavy smoke contains carbon monoxide (CO) which is a poisonous gas.
Fatigue: The conditions and work you undertake at an incident can be physically stressful and demanding. Fatigue is a key factor affecting your performance at an incident. Exposure to radiant heat and smoke for a lengthy period of time may increase your level of physical stress and the likelihood of fatigue.
Dehydration: The body’s cooling system involves perspiring. Dehydration will occur if fluids and electrolytes lost through perspiration are not replaced. On days of total fire ban and extreme fire danger, you should increase your hydration in case you get called out. Water and an electrolyte replacement drink should be consumed regularly. You should always drink more than you need in order to prevent dehydration.
Heat-related Illness: In addition to the health hazards we have just discussed, fire fighters also face the risk of heat related illness such as (in order of severity from lowest to highest):
- heat cramps:
- heat stress;
- heat exhaustion; and
- heat stroke.
Heat cramps – These are common muscular cramps that may occur in the heat, during or after exercise, especially when an unfit person has worked hard and perspired a lot. The onset of heat cramps is caused by failure to maintain adequate intake of fluid and appropriate rest and cool down periods.
Heat stress – You are suffering heat stress when your body’s cooling systems (perspiration and circulation) are being stressed but are not yet overwhelmed by the heat load. The body cools itself by perspiring and directing additional blood flow to the skin so that this blood can be cooled as the perspiration evaporates.
Heat exhaustion – As its name implies, this condition develops as a result of becoming exhausted from working in the heat. If the body is heat stressed for too long without adequate fluid intake, dehydration develops. This upsets the body’s chemistry, leading to weakness as well as reducing its capacity to continue perspiring.
Heat stroke – Heat stroke is the least common and most severe heat-related illness. It occurs when the body’s cooling systems are overwhelmed and the body’s temperature rises to dangerous levels at which time the body starts to “cook” internally. In cases of severe heat stroke, this is irreversible and death will rapidly follow.
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