Firefighters exposed to cancer-causing particles and have quadruple the rates of cancer, research shows

Yorkshire firefighters are calling on fire services to make changes to safety procedures in the light of new research which has revealed the serious health risks they face following exposure to toxic chemicals during a fire.
Firefighters are being exposed to toxic chemicalsFirefighters are being exposed to toxic chemicals
Firefighters are being exposed to toxic chemicals

Being exposed to fire effluents, the chemicals emitted during a fire, can increase the rate of developing cancer, an independent University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) report commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) found.

The work is a UK first and the latest in a growing body of international evidence suggesting an increased risk of firefighters developing cancer and other diseases.

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Fires produce a cocktail of toxic, irritant and carcinogenic chemicals in the form of aerosols, dusts, fibres, smoke and fumes or gases and vapours.

UCLan researchers carried out on-site testing at 18 fire stations as well as over 10,000 responses to a national firefighter survey run jointly between the FBU and UCLan.

Indoor air testing at the facilities highlighted that UK firefighters are still being exposed to the high levels of toxic contaminants during and after a fire, as cancer-causing chemicals remain on PPE clothing, equipment, and elsewhere at the fire ground.

Test samples revealed carcinogens inside firefighters’ helmets, on PPE, and even on breathing apparatus mask filters.

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The survey responses showed that these carcinogens may be having an effect on firefighters as 4.1 per cent of survey respondents had already been diagnosed with cancer, compared with less than 1 per cent of the general population.

More than half were under the age of 50 and a fifth were under 40.

Nearly half of the survey respondents felt there was a “badge of honour” attitude in the service, particularly when emerging from fires with contaminants on their PPE or face as a sign of hard work.

Pete Smith, FBU executive council member for Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “All of us in the fire and rescue service know firefighters who have suffered from cancer and other diseases - and there are plenty of our members across Yorkshire and Humberside who have struggled with these terrible illnesses.

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“It’s vital that all four fire and rescue services in Yorkshire and Humberside carefully study this report and urgently implement its recommendations.

“Firefighters already sacrifice so much for the safety of their community – we want to bring in these changes as swiftly as possible to halt the spread of toxic contaminants.”

The FBU called for every fire and rescue service to implement fully risk-assessed decontamination procedures en-route to, during and after fire incidents, and ensure all relevant staff are trained in implementing these procedures.

It also called for regular health screening and recording attendance at fire incidents over the course of a firefighter’s career to help monitor their health.

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In most states in Canada and the United States, presumptive legislation recognises certain cancers as occupational diseases amongst firefighters.

In the UK, it has so far been concluded that there is not considered to be enough evidence to link occupational exposure to carcinogenic fire effluents and the higher risk of cancers. This means that, if a firefighter believes their illness is work-related, they are required to prove it – an almost impossible retroactive task.

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