NIOSH Releases Five Firefighter Fatality Reports
Source Firehouse.com News
Aug. 1-- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a group of reports detailing the circumstances surrounding five firefighter fatalities between August 2015 and January 2016, including recommendations to help avoid similar tragedies in the future.
Illinois firefighter dies after falling down unsecured elevator shaft
On Dec. 14, 2015, a 42-year-old career firefighter was critically injured after falling down an unsecured elevator shaft while searching for the seat of a smoldering fire in a two-story brick warehouse. Arriving crews found light smoke conditions and no heat on the first floor, but when incident command sent crews to the second floor they encountered thick, white smoke banked down to floor level, creating almost zero visibility. A crew member on the second floor quickly radioed when he found holes in the second floor, and just 90 seconds later the firefighter fell through an unsecured shaft into the basement. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Contributing factors described in NIOSH report:
- Vacant structure undergoing renovation
- Elevator removed during renovation work
- Inadequate shielding of flammable materials during welding operations
- Multiple unsecured openings in floors
- Unsecured floor openings not immediately broadcast to everyone on fireground
- Deep-seated fire that smoldered undetected for approximately 36 hours
- Zero visibility conditions on second floor
- Firefighter operating alone (searching on second floor).
Recommendations from NIOSH:
- Ensure that crew integrity is properly maintained by sight, voice, or radio contact when operating in an immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) atmosphere.
- Continually train on becoming proficient in search operations (residential, rope-assisted, large area, etc.) with emphasis on entering low and crawling when visibility is limited or obscured.
- Train firefighters on the principles of situational awareness.
- Use risk management principles at all structure fires and emergency response incidents.
- Fire departments, cities, and authorities having jurisdiction should consider developing systems that allow the integration of building information into the information available to responding crews during initial dispatch.
North Carolina lieutenant suffers acute aortic dissection after fitness training
On Aug. 17, 2015, a 40-year-old career fire lieutenant arrived for his duty shift at 6 a.m. and proceeded to exercise with weights in the station's gym before going for a run outside. A colleague later arrived at around 7:35 a.m. and found him unresponsive on a couch in the station's dayroom. Despite CPR and advanced life support efforts, the firefighter was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was listed as "hemopericardium" due to "aortic dissection."
Although NIOSH acknowledges that the following recommendations are unlikely to have saved his life, they provide a blueprint for reducing the risk of on-the-job heart attacks:
- Provide annual medical evaluations to all firefighters consistent with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, to identify firefighters at increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD)
- Ensure that firefighters are cleared for return to duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by firefighters, and the components of NFPA 1582
- Provide firefighters with medical clearance to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as part of the fire department’s medical evaluation program
- Perform an annual physical ability evaluation
- Phase in a mandatory comprehensive wellness and fitness program for firefighter
Minnesota firefighter/paramedic suffers heart attack after fitness training
On Aug. 31, 2015, a 38-year-old firefighter/paramedic was working a 24-hour shift and responded to five calls. Afterward, he exercised for an hour in the station's gym, and following a shower he began to feel tightness in his chest and collapsed. CPR and advanced life support were performed at the station and again after transport to a hospital. Coronary angiography and balloon angioplasty revealed a totally occluded left anterior descending coronary artery. A stent was then placed and the artery opened, but he never regained a pulse and was pronounced dead.
Coronary heart disease went undiagnosed before the incident, leading to these recommendations from NIOSH officials:
- Ensure that firefighters are cleared for return to duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by firefighters, and the components of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582
- Perform an annual physical ability evaluation
- Phase in a mandatory comprehensive wellness and fitness program for firefighters
Mississippi captain suffers sudden cardiac death after fitness training
On Dec. 31, 2015, a 66-year-old career captain was performing fitness training at his station by walking on a treadmill. After exercising for about 20 minutes, he ate dinner and then showered. Roughly 75 minutes later, a crew member found him unresponsive in the shower room. Due to signs of death, CPR was not initiated and an ambulance was called. Arriving paramedics applied a cardiac monitor, which revealed no heart beat. The captain was pronounced dead, and a "visual" autopsy listed "hypertensive cardiovascular disease" as the cause of death.
Listed below are the NIOSH report recommendations:
- Provide preplacement and annual medical evaluations to all firefighters consistent with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, to identify firefighters at increased risk CHD
- Ensure that firefighters are cleared for return to duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by firefighters, and the components of NFPA 1582
- Provide firefighters with medical clearance to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as part of the fire department’s medical evaluation program
- Perform an annual physical ability evaluation
- Perform an autopsy on all on-duty firefighter fatalities
Michigan trainee suffers heart attack during firefighter training
On Jan. 2, 2016, a 47-year-old trainee was participating in his department's search and rescue training. After three hours of classroom work, practical training began involving primary searches while wearing full turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). After 90 minutes of physical work, the trainees took a break. The trainee removed his turnout coat, sat down and began hydrating when he became dizzy and lightheaded. He denied having chest pains but then vomited and became unresponsive. After transport to the hospital an EKG revealed a heart attack, and severe three-vessel coronary artery disease was then identified. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the trainee was pronounced dead by the attending physician. NIOSH's recommendations are as follows:
- Provide preplacement and annual medical evaluations to all firefighters consistent with NFPA 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, to identify firefighters at increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD)
- Ensure exercise stress tests (ESTs) are performed on firefighters at increased risk for CHD
- Ensure that firefighters are cleared for duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by firefighters, and the components of NFPA 1582
- Perform an annual physical ability evaluation
- Phase in a mandatory comprehensive wellness and fitness program for firefighters
