Page 15 - Occupational Health & Safety, May 2019

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
Why Respiratory Protection and Fit Testing Matter
I cannot stress enough how important it is for all first responders to always wear respiratory protection on the fireground—even after the fire is out.
BY DAWN BOLSTAD-JOHNSON
www.ohsonline.com
MAY 2019 | Occupational Health & Safety 11
The initial report comes in, an alarm goes off. A construction company has hit an electrical line, resulting in a small explosion and fire in a garden office complex nearby. The en- gineering system has reportedly extinguished the fire.
Firefighters jump to action. As they make entry to the office building, their SCBAs are on their backs, but their regulators are not attached. The fire is out. They continue into the electrical room. They find evidence of an arced panel and the source of the fire. They look for any hidden hot embers, but nothing is found. That same night, the firefighters begin to have trouble breathing.
Where was the hazard? There were likely airborne particulates in the soot that were contaminated with chloride and cyanide salts. When the particulates
made it into the lung, the lung recognized the foreign body and went to work to digest it. In the digestive process, ions were released and caused irritation of the lung at the cellular level. If the firefighters had worn their respiratory protection, this would have never happened.
I cannot stress enough how important it is for all first responders to always wear respiratory protection on the fireground—even after the fire is out. But just as important is for firefighters and other first respond- ers to always complete their annual fit test and user seal check.
Fit Testing is Essential
for First Responders
I have personally witnessed firefighters discount the
OHD, LLLP