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Best practices for reducing firefighter exposure to contaminants in Quebec (Canada)

Josianne Roy, M.Sc. & Arnaud Courti, Ph.D.Centre RISC (Recherche et Innovation en Securite Civile du Quebec), Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy, Quebec, QC, Canada

Best practices for reducing firefighter exposure to contaminants in Quebec (Canada)

Josianne Roy, M.Sc. & Arnaud Courti, Ph.D.Centre RISC (Recherche et Innovation en Securite Civile du Quebec), Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy, Quebec, QC, Canada

Background

During their daily firefighting activities, firefighters are exposed tomany contaminants such as soot, polycyclic aromatic hydrocar-bons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates[1,2,3,4]. According to several epidemiological studies, frequentexposure to these hazardous substances are associated with ele-vated risks of cancer, various health problems and higher mortalityrisks for firefighters than in the general population [5,6]. In re-sponse to this issue, firefighters began to review their practices inrecent years to reduce their exposure to contaminants. In Quebec(Canada), for the last few years we’ve been witnessing much moreawareness and a major positive change in health and preventionculture. Taking into account the reality of fire departments andthe resources available, firefighters in Quebec have improved theirpractices based on various models found around the world and re-cent scientific studies.

Study objective

This pilot study is showing new measures put in place by Quebecfirefighters to reduce exposure to contaminants.

Methods

•Data collection : an online questionnaire usingSurveyMonkey R© was administrated in April and May 2019 tohealth and safety officers (one per fire department)

• Survey : 19 items were used to assess “measures” in each firedepartment

•Recruitment and sample : the questionnaire was administratedto 488 fire departments by the Association des chefs en secu-rite incendie du Quebec (ACSIQ). ACSIQ reaches chiefs anddirectors, from 488 fire departments, out of a total of 662 inthe Province of Quebec (Canada) [7]

•Population: health and safety officers in a fire department in-clude directors, deputy directors, fire chiefs and officers

•Data analysis : a descriptive analysis was performed

Gross decontamination at Montreal Fire Department (2018) andrehab unit (green zone) at St-Jerome Fire Department (2019).

Preliminary results

In total, 149 participants (one per fire department) filled out the questionnaire, representing 22.5 % of all fire departments in Quebec.These 149 fire departments employ 4,794 full-time and 3,911 part-time firefighters over 21,100 firefighters in Quebec [7].

Education Training courses

69 % 65 %

31 % 35 %

Fig. 1: Education and training courses. On average, 69 %of fire departments offered educational activities to fire depart-ment personnel (including posters, videos, documents and fo-cus groups) and 65 % offered a minimum of 3 hours trainingcourses to firefighters and chiefs.

SCBA (firefighting)

SCBA (overhaul)

Full bunker gear (overhaul)

Respiratory protection (PPE decon)

Respiratory protection (equipment cleaning)

Gloves (doffing and equipment handling)

6 %

20 %

27 %

16 %

100 %

94 %

99 %

80 %

73 %

84 %

Fig. 2: Personal protection (respiratory and skin). On average, all fire departments (100 %) require or recommend wearing SCBAduring firefighting (structural fires indoor/outdoor and vehicles fires), 94 % wearing SCBA during overhaul (indoor/outdoor), 99 % wearingfull bunker gear during overhaul, 80 % wearing respiratory protection (SCBA, N95 mask or other) during personal protective equipment(PPE) decontamination, 73 % wearing respiratory protection during equipment cleaning and 84 % wearing gloves during doffing PPE andcontaminated equipment handling.

2 hoods/FF 2 bunker gears/FF

92 %

51 %

8 %

49 %

Skin cleaning on scene Shower

93 %79 %

7 %21 %

Fig. 3: PPE availability. A minimum of two personalor collective hoods (92 %) and two personal or collectivebunker gears (51 %) are available for each firefighter (FF).

Fig. 4: Hygiene. 93 % of fire departments require or recom-mend performing skin cleaning on scene (hands, neck and face)with water, soap and/or cleansing wipes, while 79 % taking ashower as soon as possible after a fire.

Yes

No

Gross decontamination

83 %

17 %

Bunker gears Equipments

38 %60 %62 %

40 %

Fig. 5: Gross decontamination. On average, 83 % of fire de-partments require or recommend performing gross decontaminationpost fire on scene (water, soap/water with brush or dry brush) forfirefighters assigned to fire attack and victim search.

Fig. 6: Transport of contaminated gears and equip-ments. During the ride back to the fire station, contaminatedbunker gears are bagged for 38 % of fire departments and con-taminated equipments are bagged or isolated in a separate areaof the apparatus for 60 % of fire departments.

Contaminated materialsoutside living areas

Zone for decon Exhaust capture system

59 %

28 %

49 %41 %

72 %

51 %Fig. 7: Fire station. 59 % of fire departments prohibitcontaminated materials into living areas (PPE, radios, tools,thermal cameras or other equipment), only 28 % of fire stationshave a zone for decontamination, hermetically separated fromthe living areas and 49 % of fire stations have exhaust capturesystem.

Conclusion

Best practices differ greatly from one fire department to anotherand there has been rapid change in recent years. However, firedepartments faced challenges to implement new measures due tolack of space in fire stations (69 %), higher costs (55 %), lackof space in vehicles (52 %), lack of personnel (40 %), lack oftime (39 %), cultural change (25 %), expectation for standards(21 %) and scientific studies (10 %). According to 47 % of firedepartments, their practices are adequate. More extensive analysisof these results will be done in the future.

Utilisez un APRIA, de l’attaque initiale jusqu’à la fin du déblai

Nettoyez un maximum d’équipements avant de quitter la scène.

Utilisez des lingettes nettoyantes tel qu’indiqué

Prenez une douche au retour en caserne

Changez vos vêtements

Nettoyez votre équipement de protection individuelle (EPI) après l’exposition

Au besoin, faites la décontamination de votre véhicule après l’incendie

LA SUIE N’EST PAS UNE

MÉDAILLE D’HONNEURDÉCONTAMINATION

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Source et crédit : IPIQ et Défense Nationale

Examples of educationnal posters from Trois-Rivieres andQuebec fire departments and a best practices guide

from 5 fire departments (small municipalities).

Programme Santé au travail CLSC Donnacona 400, route 138 Donnacona (Québec) G3M 1C3 Téléphone : 418 285-2626 Télécopieur : 418 285-4589

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dit p

hoto

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ubert

Les contaminants de l’incendie

GUIDE DE PROCÉDURES DE NETTOYAGE DES VÊTEMENTS DE PROTECTION INDIVIDUELLE, OUTILS ET ACCESSOIRES À

L’INTENTION DES SERVICES DE SÉCURITÉ INCENDIE

Services de sécurité incendie collaborateurs :

Mars 2018 Mise à jour : Avril 2019

4S/1 4B4A22A

Compte-renduet contrôle

Mission ContrôleRetour vers le PC

Aire debrossage et de rinçage Aire de

changement de bouteille

Aire d'hydratationet d'hygiène

Aire d'hydratation,d'hygiène et de

changement de cagoule

Aire denettoyage de routine

Aire de nettoyagede routine en caserne

PARCOURS DE CONTRÔLE DE LA CONTAMINATION

Avec contaminants Contaminants réduits Sans contaminants Périmètre d’opération

REHAB

Libéré

10-5

Contamination controlzones on the fire scene,developed by the MontrealFire Department (2018).

Kaizen methodology applied to Levis Fire Department (2018).A team of 11 firefighters and chiefs worked for 5 days at aworkshop, with the aim of developing best practices.

References

[1] Austin CC et al. (2001) J. Toxicol. Environ. Health Part A; 63(6):437–58[2] Bolstad-Johnson DM et al. (2000) Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 61(5):636–641[3] Fent KW et al. (2018) J Occup Environ Hyg 15(5):399-412[4] Kirk KM and Logan MB (2015) J Occup Environ Hyg 12(4):227–234[5] Daniels RD et al. (2014) J Occup Environ Med 71(6):388–397[6] LeMasters GK et al. (2006) J Occup Environ Med 48(11):1189–202[7] Ministere de la Securite publique (2019) Available at:https://www.securitepublique.gouv.qc.ca/securite-incendie/bottin.html

Acknowledgment

This research was supported by Centre RISC and Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy. The authors thank ACSIQ for their help in ques-tionnaire transmission to fire departments in Quebec.