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Cancer message for firefighters (more)
Excerpts from FireRescue1.com:
The fire service is making strides in addressing cancer awareness, with new studies highlighting the heightened risk of certain cancers among firefighters, particularly at younger ages. This has prompted a shift towards adopting various post-fire hygiene practices. One crucial aspect is understanding that turnout gear remains a potential source of carcinogenic substances unless thoroughly cleaned. However, this presents a significant challenge for many fire departments, which are either unprepared or unfamiliar with the necessity of regular cleaning.
Even departments fortunate enough to have multiple sets of gear often struggle to maintain the required cleaning frequency. Emerging practices like gross decontamination outside the fireground are being implemented to minimize contamination risks, preventing the transfer of harmful substances to apparatuses, stations, or personal vehicles used for transporting gear.
While progress is being made, the implementation of comprehensive hygienic protocols still has a long way to go. Several organizations are leading the charge with promising initiatives. The evolution of turnout clothing cleaning began about two to three decades ago, spurred by efforts from firefighter safety groups such as FIERO, NAFER, CAFER, and SAFER. These efforts culminated in the creation of NFPA 1851, which established guidelines for the selection, care, and maintenance of structural firefighting protective ensembles.
Over time, standards were developed regarding handling, machinery, detergent pH levels, and washing/drying temperatures. Despite the advancements, NFPA 1851 hasn’t seen much update to reflect modern laundering practices. For instance, the laundry industry has witnessed significant innovations, yet these haven’t been fully integrated into fire department protocols. New methods like ozone treatment, carbon dioxide-based dry cleaning, and advanced machines with specialized detergents promise enhanced soil removal from turnout gear.
For the industry to move forward effectively, reliable metrics are essential to assess cleaning efficacy. Until recently, there was no standardized way to verify that cleaning processes effectively removed harmful contaminants. The Fire Protection Research Foundation, affiliated with the National Fire Protection Association, launched a project in May to establish methods for validating turnout clothing cleaning and demonstrating the removal of hazardous substances.
This initiative might sound technical, but it's a complex challenge. Part of the difficulty lies in the variability of fire environments—each fire generates thousands of unique combustion products depending on the building materials and contents. Some chemicals pose severe risks while others do not. Since every fire is different, identifying specific chemicals is challenging without precise tools.
Adding to the complexity is sampling the clothing. Measuring low-level contaminants requires extracting pieces from the garments. Given contamination isn't evenly distributed, logical decisions must be made about sample locations, generalizing results for the whole item. Most analytical techniques used by labs are designed for soil or water samples, not turnout clothing.
The new project focuses on creating a methodology applicable anywhere to evaluate whether key fireground contaminants are successfully removed by various cleaning agents, machines, or processes. This involves uniformly contaminating lab samples with representative substances, inserting them into full clothing items, and subjecting them to cleaning procedures. The contaminated material samples can then be analyzed to determine if the substances are removed.
To replicate fireground conditions accurately, the contractor proposes using pellets containing known chemicals and carbon, burned in high-temperature furnaces, with effluents directed over the samples. Extensive validation is needed to confirm these methods simulate real-world contamination and ensure consistent evaluation of cleaning effectiveness.
If successful, specific equipment, agents, and processes can be assessed for their efficiency in removing carcinogens or toxins. Differences in machine types, wash temperatures, and detergent chemistries can also be studied to identify optimal conditions.
These procedures could lead to independent service providers being certified for appropriate equipment and procedures, similar to current verification for repair capabilities. However, frequent cleaning, even verified, accelerates wear and tear, potentially reducing turnout clothing lifespan. While challenging to accept, laundering can degrade clothing faster than anticipated. Thus, cleaning processes must not only remove soils and contaminants but also ensure no undue degradation occurs with regular use.
Minimizing firefighter exposure to carcinogens involves more than just keeping gear clean. Exposures happen through various pathways. Ensuring persistent contamination removal linked to adverse health effects is a critical step toward improving firefighter hygiene.